News » US Raises $1 Million at 125th Anniversary Gala!University Settlement's 7th Annual Fine Wine Dinner & Auction, held at the IAC Building on Wednesday, April 13, 2011, was a great success, raising $1 million! The event was particularly special as it celebrated the Settlement's 125th anniversary and honored two outstanding board members, Alan P. Winters, chairman of the board, and James K. Finkel, board member and event chair.  University Settlement 125th Anniversary Gala Event Raises $1 Million  Michael Green, celebrity wine consultant and emcee for the night, with Executive Director Michael Zisser, Chairman of the Board Alan Winters and Board Member and Event Chair Jim Finkel University Settlement hosted its Seventh Annual Fine Wine Dinner and Auction at the IAC Building in Manhattan on Wednesday, April 13th. With 240 guests in attendance, the event raised a record-breaking $1 million to support the Settlement's programs that serve families throughout New York City. This year's dinner was particularly special as it celebrated University Settlement's 125th anniversary and a proud legacy as the first settlement house in the United States. In addition, the event honored two outstanding board members--Alan P. Winters, Chairman of the Board, and James K. Finkel, Board Member and Event Chair--with the 2011 Charles B. Stover Award. Both board members have made major and lasting contributions to the Settlement over the years. "This is a truly historic occasion, and the highlight of our anniversary year," said Michael H. Zisser, Ph.D., executive director of University Settlement. "More than just our 125th anniversary, we are celebrating this point in our history when we've served more people and conducted more programs from more locations than ever before. And we couldn't have gotten here without the extraordinary commitment of Alan Winters and Jim Finkel." Winters will be stepping down on July 1, 2011 after serving on the board for ten years, eight as board chair. He will remain on the board as a director. One of his major contributions to the agency was creation of the Fund for Innovation Endowment campaign to fund future projects that embody the innovative spirit of the settlement movement. As part of his legacy, the board has chosen to designate the endowment as the Alan Winters 21st Century Fund for Innovation. Finkel has served on the board for the past eight years, and has been instrumental in creating the annual fine wine dinner and auction, one of the agency's most important sources of general support and a signature event for University Settlement. It has generated nearly $3.5 million over the past seven years. |
