Olshan Properties, one of the country’s leading private owners, developers and operators of commercial real estate, today announced that its company-wide, service-based charitable program, Olshan Outreach, will dedicate its 2017 efforts to helping advance literacy initiatives across the country.
Commented Chief Executive Officer, Andrea Olshan: “On behalf of our entire staff, whose spirit of goodwill and determination makes this possible, I am pleased to announce that Olshan Outreach will focus our efforts this year to help promote Literacy across all the towns and communities that we call home. When you learn that around 26 percent of the world's adult population is still illiterate (1) and 14 percent of adults in the United States itself can’t read (2), it becomes clear that raising awareness of the value of literacy is extremely important to us all.”
Olshan Outreach was introduced in 2014 with the goal of uniting employees behind an annual charitable initiative that has a direct and meaningful impact on the communities in which they live and work: Evanston, IL. (Hilton Orrington), Atlanta, GA. (Sheraton Suites Galleria), Columbus, OH. (Courtyard by Marriot at Easton, Hilton Columbus at Easton and Residence Inn by Marriott at Easton), Dayton, OH. (The Greene Town Center), Kansas City, MO. (Zona Rosa Town Center), Marco Island, FL. (Marco Island Hilton Beach Resort and Spa), Milwaukee, WI. (Bayshore Town Center) and Olshan’s corporate office locations in New York City, Columbus, Ohio, and Indianapolis, Indiana. Since that year, Olshan team members have successfully rallied together in the Fight Against Hunger (2014), in promotion of Heart Health (2015), followed by last year’s ‘Fight Against Cancer’ (2016).
‘Letters of Inspiration’ kicked off last year’s ‘Fight Against Cancer’ program. Through the ‘Letters’ initiative, Olshan Outreach was able to connect sympathetic individuals with cancer sufferers through inspiring letters and artwork delivered to hospitals and treatment centers in communities where Olshan Properties operates. By year’s end, Olshan Outreach was the inspiration behind the delivery of 1,500 such cards. Some hospitals and not for profit organizations with which Olshan Properties partnered over the past year included Ronald McDonald House, North Kansas City Hospital, Children’s Miracle Network Atlanta, Northside Hospital Atlanta, American Cancer Society, Imerman Angels and Pink Ribbon Girls.
With the continuation of 2016, Olshan Outreach also advanced its support for the ‘Fight Against Cancer’ as well as other initiatives through the following efforts and programs:
Atlanta, GA.
The Sheraton Suites Galleria team participated in the ZERO Prostate Cancer Run/Walk - Atlanta Dash4Dad to help bring awareness and raise funds for new treatment research, free prostate cancer testing, and prostate cancer education for men and families. Team members donated time and raised funds for Northside Hospital in Atlanta.
Columbus & Dayton, OH.
The Hilton Columbus at Easton, Courtyard Columbus at Easton and Residence Inn Columbus at Easton teams partnered in July with the Ohio History Connection Center to help promote early childhood literacy at its Storybook Village event, where children’s favorite storybook characters magically came to life. This year Storybook Village celebrated storytelling from around the world and explored fairy tales and fables from a variety of cultures. Earlier in the year, the teams from Olshan’s Columbus region hotels also volunteered at The Circle of Friends Run for the Rainbow 5Khosted by Nationwide Children’s Hospital working to fight pediatric cancer. Team members helped set up for the event, handed out waters and cheered on participants. All proceeds from the race were donated to Nationwide Children's Hospital.
Employees based out of the Columbus corporate office partnered with Nationwide Children’s ‘Reach Out and Read’ program by donating over 50 new and gently used books for the organization’s book drive. They also helped sort through and send all the donated books to local clinics and children’s hospital wards. Earlier in the year, the team volunteered as event helpers and course marshals for the Race for Hope Derrière 5k Dash, which helped benefit colorectal cancer awareness and funding. Olshan team members also assisted in setting up the event and silent auction/raffle, handing out fruit and water before the race, and directing runners along the course. The event helped bring awareness and provided support for families in need.
The Greene Town Center hosted a weekend-long fundraising event for Pink Ribbon Girls and the first ‘Flippin' Out Against Cancer Flip-Flop Walk’ to spread breast cancer awareness. Efforts consisted of event planning and preparation, and day-of event setup and execution. The team also assisted Pink Ribbon Girls in organizing 35 cancer survivors and 250 walkers in a 1-mile walk around the campus of The Greene, and in creating a Survivor Scavenger Hunt for participants after the walk. These events, brought in $23,500 for Pink Ribbon Girls and provided a tremendous amount of exposure and awareness! In summertime, the team at The Greene partnered with Project READ, holding three separate book drives in conjunction with the Center’s summer family movie nights. In addition, book bins were placed in the Center’s town square and before summer was over, 500 donations had already been counted.
Kansas City, MO.
Over at the Zona Rosa Town Center approximately 3,500 people participated in theWhisper Walk 5Kbenefiting the Vicki Welsh Fund, raising over $90,000 and spreading awareness and showing support for those affected by ovarian cancer. For the 8th year in a row, Zona Rosa was selected to host this event and it continues to see substantial growth annually. The team participated by helping with event setup, race registration, early packet-pick-up and pre-race event activities. The Zona Rosa merchants also helped by donating bottled water and bananas for runners.
In September last year, Zona Rosa Town Center also hosted the Get Your Rear in Gear for Colon Cancer5K Run/Walk to benefit Colon Cancer. GYRIG, the largest Colorectal Cancer event in the Kansas City area, increases awareness and raises money for efforts to improve screenings and support for those affected by Colon Cancer. All proceeds raised went to the local community to encourage screenings and education for the nation’s No. 2 cancer killer.
Looking towards the fall, the team at Zona Rosa has partnered with the ‘Book Werm Sale’ providing a venue at the Center for the sale of over 5,000 books to the public at bargain prices. WERM, or Women’s Education Receives the Money, is a not for profit organization sponsored by P.E.O., a philanthropic education organization which raises money for women's scholarships.
Marco Island, FL.
Team members of the Hilton Marco Island Beach Resort & Spa registered as a relay team for Relay for Life Marco Island, and sponsored a booth at the all-day relay event where they collected donations for food, goods, games, and activities.
Milwaukee, WI.
The Bayshore Town Center team hosted and sponsored a Relay for Life event that included Zumba, face painting, letter writing for patients & families at Hope Lodge, lawn games, and a survivor and caregiver reception. The team executed the event with the American Red Cross, and merchants participated by donating raffle items, food & drinks, coupons, and attendee goodie bags. Over 50 people participated in the Survivor Dinner at Devon’s Seafood and Steaks and over 150 participated in the evening activities.
In addition, the Board Break-A-Thon to support the fight against childhood cancer was held at the Bayshore Town Center. As part of their 22nd annual event, martial arts students from all five locations of the J.K. Lee Black Belt Academy volunteered by collecting pledges and were on-hand to break boards and assist the community in the break-a-thon to ‘give childhood cancer a kick’. They showcased their skills during detailed martial arts demonstrations, which were held throughout the event. The fundraiser was open to the public, and all proceeds from the event benefit the MACC Fund. Since its inception, the event has raised over $700,000 for cancer research.
Evanston, IL.
Team Members from the Hilton Orrington volunteered at the 5K Brunch Run organized by Imerman Angels, an organization that provides one-on-one support to cancer fighters, survivors and caregivers. Team Members from the Hilton Orrington/ Evanston passed out water, Gatorade, and snacks to hundreds of walkers and runners. In the spring, the hotel’s team partnered with local Orrington Elementary school and Evanston Cradle Career Book Drive to participate in Read Across America Day, by reading the stories of Eloise to the K through Second grade students. The team also participated in a book drive through Evanston Cradle to Career, and helped to organize and distribute books with C2C.
New York, NY.
Olshan Properties executives saw an opportunity to provide a meaningful impact within the shopping center industry. Olshan Outreach’s ‘Fight Against Cancer’ kicked off at ICSC RECon 2016, with ‘Letters of Inspiration’. At RECon, the world’s largest retail real estate convention, Olshan Properties executives from the New York and Columbus corporate offices welcomed attendees in Las Vegas to join in the effort by stopping by Olshan Properties’ booth to write their letters of uplifting thoughts and words of encouragement to cancer patients. Later in the year, Olshan’s NYers organized a successful book drive to benefit the Reading Partners organization.
1)Source: UNESCO
2)Source: U.S. Department of Education
About Olshan Outreach
Each year, Olshan Properties’ entire team spends a day of paid service collaborating with local not-for-profit organizations. The charitable focus, which is implemented in a unified program nationwide, allows team members to make a positive impact on the communities in which they live and work. Over the years, Olshan Properties has made contributions to community programs such as Change for Charity, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, Adopt a Highway, Children’s Miracle Network, and the American Heart Association. In 2014, Olshan Properties united the company’s philanthropic endeavors under one company-wide program name called Olshan Outreach.
About Olshan Properties
Olshan Properties is a privately owned real estate firm specialized in the development, acquisition, leasing and management of commercial real estate for more than 55 years. The close integration of investment and operating capabilities has given Olshan Properties a reputation as one of the leading private owner/operators of commercial real estate in the country.
Olshan Properties currently owns and/or manages, individually or with its affiliated companies, a diverse portfolio of commercial properties including Retail, Hotel, Office, and Residential in eleven states. For more information, click here.
