IndyBar: The Power of Giving

Waterfill

By Mark Waterfill, 2019 Indianapolis Bar Foundation President

Growing up in Madison, Indiana, my father was principal of the high school and my brothers were active in student government. One of my favorite events to attend was a Christmas party for underprivileged kids where toys donated from the community were given to those in need. A cherished memory of mine is playing with kids with my old toys donated for the event. It was fun and meaningful.

A few years later, I was going to high school in Charlestown, Indiana, and our Fellowship of Christian Athletes announced a toy drive to duplicate the program I had seen in Madison. I received a phone call from an adult who chewed me out for conducting this program because his group had done this for years. After listening for some time, I finally said, “Sir, you are probably one of those adults who complains that high school kids don’t do anything to help our community. Well, here are a group of kids who are trying to help.” He laughed and said I had a very good point. He would ask his group to take a year off and let us handle the task.
 

IndyBar members and friends enjoyed an elegant evening of fundraising for the IBF at the annual Evening Under the Stars Gala this past September.

A few weeks later, I thought we had failed miserably. I thought we had no toys. I thought we were done. Then, I received a call from the elementary school principal. “When are you coming to pick up all these toys?” she said. The elementary school had a large room full of toys and we spent the next few weeks wrapping and delivering. It was wonderful.

The power of giving is tremendous. Giving transforms the provider as much or more than the recipient. The Indianapolis Bar Foundation is dedicated to providing attorneys the opportunity to give to our community. Our mission is clear: raise money to help those in need in central Indiana.

The fun part is that we “do good by doing good.” By that, I mean trivia events throughout the year, the Lawyer Links Classic Golf Outing (this year scheduled on July 25, get details at indybar.org/golf), and the Evening Under the Stars Gala (save the date for September 13!). All are fun events that allow us to raise money for the Impact Fund Grant and other donations to worthy causes. Join us! You may be as happy and surprised as I was to learn there was a room full of toys to give away. Learn more about the IBF’s initiatives and donate today at indybar.org/ibf.•