The Daymon Difference - Winter 2008/2009 - (Page 7) Clowning for a Cause The hall was full of clowns, jugglers, magicians and even a ringmaster, but this was a circus with a purpose. On October 19, 2008 Bruce Crilly, Manager, Knowledge Leadership, took part in the 6th annual Mary Therese Rose Fund (MTRF) fundraiser to benefit special needs children cared for out of the Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, NJ. This year the event was “Big Top Bop” and featured performers from the “Big Apple Circus To Go” roaming the cocktail hour entertaining both kids and adults alike. “One of the things that makes this event unusual is that we fill the hall with both benefactors and beneficiaries”, said Bruce. “Its great for the donors to see Bruce Crilly (left) with one of the entertainers from the MTRF event the kids and its irresistible to watch the kids rising above their disabilities and just having a great time.” The Mary Therese Rose fund was started by Bruce’s brother Jack and is named in the memory of one of Jack’s daughter who was diagnosed with Joubert’s syndrome. This year’s event raised over $80,0000 for the fund. Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow Of course while he was sitting in his favorite chair and relaxing in his office, his colleagues were shaving his head. That’s right. Bruce, known throughout the land for his thin, wavy, reddish autumn hair – with a tinge of gray - challenged his cohorts to pony up a grand for the MAW and he would shave his head right down to the bone. True to his word, Bruce the Red soon became know as Bruce the Bald. “First and foremost I did nothing but have my head shaved,” says the Bald one. “It is all the people – Daymon and Topco – who contributed to a good cause and had some fun along the way that made this successful. For what it’s worth, I have a friend with cancer. His hair or lack thereof is the last thing on his family’s mind. He along with our military people who come home without limbs and never complain, or children who are happy to sleep in their own beds after weeks in a hospital, are the great people doing great things. Hate to sound corny, but that’s how I feel. Hair grows back.” Now if only the Cubbies would win a World Series, Brucie Boy says he would “shave every hair I have on my body. Yes, every hair!” (BTW – Besides the $1,400 the Daymon and Topco associates raised for MAW, they threw in another $500 for RICBAC!) Bruce Before Bruce After While Daymon associates around the world were holding silent auctions and collecting frequent flier miles and serving as executive butlers and selling baked goods back in September to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Bruce Parker, our DBD at Topco in Skokie, was just sitting back and taking it easy. And he still managed to raise more $1,400 for sick kids. 7
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