Patricia L. Harman, Editor-in-Chief
pharman@alm.com
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Sometimes it’s too easy for us to take the many benefits we have for granted
and we forget to focus on what’s really important in life. One of the best antidotes to becoming the center of our own universe is to spend time physically
helping others dealing with significant, life-changing issues. It brings a clarity
and spirit of appreciation like few other activities can.
Those who work in the insurance industry probably understand this better
than most folks – you see destruction, physical injuries and losses on a daily basis. Many of you spend much of your day trying to mitigate those damages and
improve outcomes for your policyholders, and yet you are still willing to donate
your time and talents to help others.
This was abundantly clear at the Workers’ Compensation Education Conference in Orlando last month, when more than 700 volunteers from insurers,
TPAs and affiliated industries (109 companies) donated a collective 25,000
manpower hours for the 2017 WCI Give Kids the World Service Day Project.
This incredible group of volunteers worked in 55 different venues and accomplished in one morning what it would have taken the village an entire year
to complete with their dedicated staff and volunteers.
The Give Kids the World village is a special place designed for children facing life-threatening illnesses and their families. For one week they can live in
a storybook village, eat ice cream for breakfast, meet childhood heroes, visit
Orlando’s local attractions and hopefully experience a magical vacation that
allows them to focus on just being children and not the challenges they face.
For those of us who volunteered, it was a chance to do something out of
our comfort zones with colleagues from around the country. Everyone worked
whole-heartedly, understanding that their efforts would help GKTW continue to
serve the thousands of families from around the globe who visit them each year.
It also allowed us to remember what is important as we worked to make a real
difference in the lives of others.
Give Kids the World is a non-profit resort that provides accommodations,
transportation, meals, tickets to various theme parks, entertainment and so
much more at no cost to these families. Since 1986, it has served more than
155,000 families, creating happy memories that will hopefully last a lifetime.
If you’d like more information on GKTW or your company would like to get
involved, visit their website at www.gktw.org.
