While most of us enjoy the luncheons, happy hours and other social events sponsored by the Jacksonville Bar (as do I, so keep ‘em comin’) — the Bar and the Young Lawyers Section also serve a purpose beyond social events.
After the last drink is poured and last hors d’oeuvres served, the YLS continues to garner support from the Bar membership to assist local charities that need our help. This year is no exception.
Two charities that have been chosen this year have inspired me personally to try and gain support from our membership. Every year the YLS Board selects charities to be the beneficiaries of events it traditionally puts on.
The annual Chippin’ in for Charity Golf Tournament and Poker Tournament are two of the events that raise a substantial amount of money for the charities.
This is my first year on the YLS board, but I experienced this last year when I served as an ex officio board member. Many wonderful charities are pitched and chosen every year.
While connecting with members is beneficial, our bigger cause is to support our community. What better way to serve the community than to help local charities?
This rings true with the charities that will benefit this year from the golf tournament and poker tournament: JT Townsend Foundation and K9s for Warriors.
While I was unfamiliar with the JT Townsend Foundation, my knowledge of this charity quickly amassed. JT Townsend played football at Episcopal School of Jacksonville and suffered a spinal cord injury Oct. 8, 2004, in a game against Bishop Kenny High School.
After his injury, an outpouring of support was given by the community to JT and his family. These local folks came to JT’s assistance without question. This unsolicited assistance inspired JT to “pay it forward” and help local families deal with similar injuries and disabilities.
Before his death on June 4, 2013, JT personally delivered equipment to local families as part of his charity. His foundation has continued his tradition.
JT wanted to help those who experienced similar injuries and struggles. The YLS is excited to help the foundation through this year’s Golf Tournament on Oct. 15. It is not too late to sponsor the event or register your foursome.
Visit jaxbar.org or email [email protected] for information. Please join us in helping the JT Townsend Foundation carry on JT’s legacy.
We also have the pleasure of supporting K9s for Warriors. I am personally moved by this charity and actually came to tears reading the story of a warrior whose life was literally saved by the service dog he received through K9s for Warriors.
This local charity on our First Coast was started by the Ducal family whose son suffered from PTSD. A mother’s love spawned the phenomenal and incomparable charity, which has garnered national interest.
As many of you may know, K9s needs our support to build kennels for the dogs and to fund additional training and warrior placement.
As a military community, Jacksonville supports its warriors and in this case the Jacksonville Bar encourages its members to continue that support. The charity helps our warriors re-enter civilian life with dignity and independence.
These dogs help save our warriors lives and the least we can do is support this charity and our warriors by donating time, money or talent. Please join me in taking this charity, its noble warriors and amazing K9s under our wing.
These two charities are just a few that YLS supports. If you would like to assist the YLS this year in raising money for them, please contact me or any other YLS board member.
I am personally excited to serve on the YLS board and continue to support and promote local charities. If any of the JBA membership has a local charity that needs assistance, please let one of the YLS board members know.
It is my hope that our membership will join us in giving back to the community, and through this process may make a friend, learn something new about yourself or just enjoy the wonderful feeling that you have done something good — and it did not involve legal writing or a court appearance.
While you may not be familiar with some of these charities, I encourage you to dive into the community and find one that you truly have a connection with and a passion for — you will not regret it.
Giselle Carson, our fearless JBA president, has encouraged the membership to be present in the community and I embolden all of you to rise to the challenge.