IICF Honors Those ‘Bridging’ the Gap between Industry and Community

Of the many occasions the insurance industry has been called upon to come together as a whole, this past year was especially impressive for the way in which its members made contributions of both money and time to those in need.

To celebrate these charitable accomplishments, the 2001 Insurance Industry Charitable Fund (IICF) Bridge Week Celebration Luncheon was held Oct. 30 at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles. Among those present to honor individuals who have significantly contributed to their communities, the luncheon featured remarks from California State Senator Jack Scott (D-Pasadena).

IICF Bridge Week is an annual, nine-day event, during which teams of volunteers from the ranks of the insurance industry offer three or more hours of service at neighborhood nonprofit organizations throughout California.

IICF Regional Vice President Janet Kidd discussed the efforts of the insurance community over the last year. In 2000, IICF Bridge Week involved 138 insurance companies, which worked on upwards of 200 projects to more than 80 agencies. With 2001 winding down, IICF has more than 50,000 volunteer hours logged this year by approximately 3,000 volunteers and has given away just over $1,000,000 since the beginning of the year. That money figure has consistently grown every year. “That’s what we’re all about,” Kidd said.

In addition, Kidd noted that during the organization’s gala last May, Bob Gallagher, chairman of the board Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., was honored. “We named Bob as our 2001 honoree for all the work he has done in helping others,” she said. Gallagher has spent 54 years in business.

While charity work was a central theme for the luncheon, Scott was asked to speak about the industry and provide some insight to the current condition of the California workers’ compensation market.

With regard to the challenges facing the workers’ comp market in California for both employers and employees, Scott said, “Reforms have been made to make sure all claims are legitimate. There has been an upturn in claims and there is no doubt employers can’t sustain rising costs. We have to look for a compromise in 2002 and make sure we’re getting money out into the economy to keep it healthy.”

Scott, who is a Senate Insurance Committee Member, made special note of the willingness of the industry to give back to the community, especially in the wake of the tragic events of Sept. 11. “I want to applaud you for your wonderful charity work,” Scott commented. “The government has a way of recovering, and we will too.”

Concluding the luncheon was a visit from Lynn Anderson, president of the Epidermolysis Bullosa Medical Research Foundation (EBMRF).

Anderson has lost two children to the disease, characterized as a family of disorders, mostly inherited, ranging from mild, to severely disabling, to life-threatening skin conditions. Though the disease affects more than 100,000 people a year, Anderson said developments over the last 10 years have given rise to great hope in the fight against the disease. As Kidd pointed out, that makes all the time and effort the IICF puts into its projects worthwhile.

“I’m grateful that you [the insurance industry] are so generous of heart,” Anderson told the crowd. To date, the EBMRF has received more than $70,000 in donations from the insurance industry.

“That’s why IICF is around—to help organizations like [the EBMRF] and give back to the community,” Kidd said. “We look for organizations like that—the smaller ones, who are nonprofit, who don’t get the big research money. One of the reasons we highlight a nonprofit at our luncheons is we want our supporters to understand where the dollars are going and how the insurance industry is making an impact.”