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.

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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

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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.

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More Photos from the Event

Photography by Al Cassidy