
Campaign for Working Families President & CEO Mary Arthur with (at left) Michael DiBerardinis, Managing Director for the City of Philadelphia, and event emcee and CBS 3 Emmy Award Winning Anchor Jim Donovan
Counting on You 2017
The Cescaphe Ballroom in Northern Liberties provided the elegant setting for the Campaign for Working Families, Inc. second annual benefit.
The fundraising event Counting On You was held on Thursday, November 2, 2017. Following a 90-minute reception overflowing with hors d’oeuvres and the music of Black Tie Entertainment Group, Michael DiBerardinis, Managing Director for the City of Philadelphia, opened the program portion of the evening by sharing how the Campaign for Working Families, Inc. () had grown since its inception in 2003.
President & CEO Mary Arthur welcomed the 150+ attendees, explaining how the efforts of the organization and its 850 plus IRS certified volunteers saved lower-income taxpayers $9.2 million in tax preparation fees through its free services at 37 tax preparation sites in 2017.
Special Recognition
The 2017 Counting on You Campaign for Working Families, Inc., fundraising event proudly recognized three wonderful supporters of the program:
LEADERSHIP AWARD
Jim Cawley
Vice President of Institutional Advancement for Temple University
CHAMPION AWARD
Allan Domb
City of Philadelphia Councilman at Large, Businessman
COMMUNITY AWARD
Jim Donovan
CBS 3 Eyewitness News Anchor
Surprise Award Receipient
Jim Donovan, who also served as master of ceremonies for the event, was unaware he was receiving the award and was surprised by the acknowledgement.
Following the dinner portion of the evening, an energetic and entertaining auction was conducted, raising an additional $2,200 for . Professional auctioneer Col. David P. Fitzgerald worked the room into reaching for their wallets for items including: box seat Flyers tickets with food & open bar; four Temple Owl tickets; a private lunch with City of Philadelphia Managing Director Michael DiBerardinis; and two opportunities to have lunch with City Councilman-at-Large Allan Domb. The auction highlight, in what is quickly becoming a tradition for the event, was the bidding for sweet potato pies from Brown’s Shop Rite’s Chef Market.
At the conclusion of the evening, Board of Director’s Vice Chair Richard Stipa thanked everyone and reminded them that the families in need of the free tax services, “count on you to help keep these services available.”
provides services in Philadelphia, Montgomery and Delaware Counties in Pennsylvania and five counties in Southern New Jersey. During the 2016-17 tax season prepared 33,743 federal tax returns and 22,337 Pennsylvania state tax returns, which generated $12.2 million in Earned Income Tax Credits.
More Photos from the Event
- Cocktails for guests arriving
- Campaign for Working Families President & CEO Mary Arthur with (at left) Michael DiBerardinis, Managing Director for the City of Philadelphia, and event emcee and CBS 3 Emmy Award Winning Anchor Jim Donovan
- Mary Arthur with Allan Domb and guest
- Allan Dombs team joins him for the evening
- board of directors in attendance
- Board member Roberta West and Mary Arthur with Brown’s Shop Rite pie
- staff
- The Cescaphe Ballroom is set
- Black Tie Entertainment Group performs
- Silent action items
- Mary Arthur and Jim Donovan share presentation notes
- Michael DiBerardinis and Richard Stipa
- Michael DiBerardinis introduces the evening
- Mary Arthur shares the past year’s successes
- Jim Donovan kicks off the awards presentations
- Jim Donovan kicks off the awards presentations
- Jim Cawley speaking
- Jim Cawley accepts the Leadership Award
- Allan Domb speaking
- Allan Domb accepts the BLANK Award
- Jim Donovan is unaware of his surprise Community Award — it was taken out of his program only
- Michael DiBerardinis announces the surprise Community Award to Jim Donovan
- Mary Arthur and Jim Donovan
- Jim Donovan accepts the Community Award
- Jim Donovan accepts the Community Award
- Auctioneer Col. David P. Fitzgerald
- Bidding under way
- Jim Donovan and Roberta West sell pies
- Jim Donovan and Roberta West sell pies
- The pie auction gets a new splash
- The pie auction gets a new splash
- The pie auction gets a new splash
- The pie auction gets a new splash
- Richard Stipa thanks everyone for coming
- Mary Arthur and Jim Donovan
- Jonathan Barnes and Eric Todd
- Ken Haubert and wife
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