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Go rd o n Hi l l - Hi l l Wa rd He n d e r s o n
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Jeanne founded the “Lawyers With Heart” initiative by challenging her
fellow legal colleagues to join her in forming teams and raising money for
Tampa Bay’s Heart Walk. If you know Jeanne, then you know she can be very
persuasive, and I am pleased to report that lawyers exceeded her expectations.
In 2017 alone, 16 law firms, along with the Hillsborough County Bar
Association, raised over $108,000 for the cause. The Yerrid Firm, P.A. won
the friendly law firm challenge by raising the most money. But there truly were
no losers in this contest, as all firm participants stepped up and did their part.
As corny as it sounds, the name says it all. Lawyers have a big heart, and
I am proud of the work Jeanne and others have done for this great cause.
But, we as lawyers can do even more. Cardiovascular disease is the nation’s
most costly illness, directly and indirectly accounting for $298 billion in costs
each year. Every 34 seconds, someone has a heart attack, and every 40 seconds,
someone has a stroke. Presumably, either you or someone you know has been
impacted, and the American Heart Association could use our help.
I encourage all of you to consider participating in this great event. You
don’t need to be a part of a large or even small firm to participate. Law firms
or non-firm groups of any size, and even individuals, can participate. This
year’s event will be held in November at Raymond James Stadium with the
exact time and date still to be determined. If you or someone you know is
interested in joining the “Lawyers With Heart” initiative, please contact
McKenzie Doll with the American Heart Association at McKenzie.Doll@
heart.org or (727) 563-8022 or Bob Fulton at [email protected]
or (813) 221-3900.
Lawyers Doing gooD in the Community
As I am closing each of my articles by telling the story of attorneys who have gone
above and beyond in their civic involvement, I will continue to praise Jeanne Tate
whose charitable work goes far beyond the Lawyers With Heart initiative. Her work
is too vast to detail in this short column, but here are just a few highlights. First,
Jeanne won the 2013 Tobias Simon Pro Bono Service Award, the highest statewide
pro bono award given each year, in recognition of the thousands of pro bono hours
she has devoted to Bay Area Legal Services and others. Second, Jeanne has been
a tireless advocate for the Florida Chapter of Gift of Adoption — a non-profit that
provides financial grants to make adoptions more affordable for deserving
individuals and families. Since 2002, these grants have helped make adoption a
reality for more than 227 children, and our own Hillsborough County Bar Foundation
has been a significant contributor to this great cause. Third, Jeanne founded the
non-profit Heart of Adoptions Alliance, Inc. in 2001 to promote adoption education,
provide much-needed resources and support to families facing an unplanned
pregnancy, and provide grant money to families needing assistance with the costs
of adoption. As Rosemary Armstrong said so well in nominating Jeanne for the
Tobias Simon Award, Jeanne’s “service to poor children and families in Florida is
immeasurable, but what is certain is that many hundreds of children would not be
in permanent placements today without her assistance.” Thank you Jeanne and the
attorneys in your firm for all the great work you have done in our community.
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