Buffalo Renaissance Foundation Winter 2015 Newsletter

Buffalo Renaissance Foundation

Spring 2016

Montante named 24th President of the Buffalo Renaissance Foundation In January at the Board’s Annual Meeting, Michael J. Montante, Vice President of Uniland Development Company was named the 24th President of the Foundation. Montante has served as Chair of the Appropriations Committee for many years and as Vice President to outgoing President James F. Dentinger for the past two years.

“I am honored to lead such a prestigious Foundation such as the Buffalo Renaissance and look forward to continue to drive this group forward with our message of positive thinking and positive change. The city of Buffalo’s renaissance is before us, and our group is committed to moving our community forward.”

Montante will lead the Renaissance Foundation for the next two years.

The directors would like to recognize the contributions of Past President Dentinger for his efforts in 2014 and 2015, two of the most successful years in the history of the Renaissance with record-breaking events and charitable giving, headlined by our $50,000 donation to the new Women’s and Children’s Hospital.


	President, MICHAEL J. MONTANTE

2016 Buffalo Renaissance Man of the Year

2016 Buffalo Renaissance Foundation’s Annual Spring Luncheon

We are honored to announce this year’s Buffalo Renaissance Foundation’s Man of Year is Mr. Jeremy M. Jacobs, Sr. Mr. Jacobs, Chairman of the Delaware North Companies, Inc. and Owner & Governor of the Boston Bruins, will be recognized for his notable philanthropy within the Western New York community. This year’s annual Spring Luncheon will be held at the gorgeous Mary Seaton Room in Kleinhans Music Hall.



Mr. Jeremy Jacobs, Sr.

Renaissance Honoree
Mr. Jeremy M. Jacobs, Sr.
Chairman – Delaware North Companies, Inc.
Owner & Governor – Boston Bruins

When
Thursday, May 12, 2016

Time
11:30 AM Registration
12:00 PM – 1:30 PM

Luncheon Place
Kleinhans Music Hall
3 Symphony Circle, Buffalo

For tickets or sponsorship opportunities, please contact Scott McManigle at brf.mcmanigle@gmail.com.

Buffalo Sculptural Art Initiative – Spirit of Buffalo Series

The third piece of the Sculptural Art Initiative series, the “Spirit of Buffalo,” was completed in October with the dedication of a life-sized statue of Theodore Roosevelt placed at the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site on Delaware Avenue.

The project, co-produced by the Inaugural Site and the BRF, was dedicated on October 27, President Roosevelt's 157th birthday. The life-size monument of the 26th President represents "The Spirit of Leadership" and is the third piece in a five-part series. The statue stands looking over Delaware Avenue, creating a landmark to now easily identify the Theodore Roosevelt Site.

	The BRF Directors help dedicate the Spirit of Leadership statue of Theodore Roosevelt on Tuesday, October 27.

Annual Veterans Luncheon


	BRF Directors Maurice Naylon and Gary Stott present this year's Veterans Scholarships to Iam Millermohn and Michael Hearon.

Our 8th annual Veterans Luncheon, an event that continues to grow and support our local Veteran community, was held at The Buffalo Club in November and honored our 2015 scholarship recipients, Michael Hearon and Ian Millermohn.

A record attendance of over 120 people were educated on what will be a historical event in May 2017 when the commissioning of the new USS Little Rock will take place in Buffalo at Canalside. Guests were treated to a presentation by the ship’s Commander and Western New York native, Paul Burkhart.

The purpose of the annual luncheon during Veterans' Day week is to recognize Veterans, both in Active Duty and Reservists, that help to protect our country. In addition to honoring Veterans and those currently serving in the Military, the luncheon is held to raise needed funds to provide scholarships to those who have served our country and are attending college.

Many thanks to our director co-chairs Maurice L. Naylon and Gary M. Stott for their leadership with respect to the event that serves as a gateway to the holidays every year.

BRF Outreach Program

St. Luke’s Mission of Mercy, specifically Our Lady of Hope Home School, was the benefactor of the 2015 Outreach Program. Earlier in the year, the BRF donated funds to purchase text books for nearly 50 students in their elementary program. In December, a group of directors and their children attended breakfast and then traveled to the church to put up the annual Christmas decorations.

Many thanks to director Michael Modrzynski for his efforts in leading the 2015 BRF Outreach Program.

	BRF directors and families volunteered at St. Luke's Mission of Mercy as part of our Outreach project.

UB Athletics Scholarship

This year’s recipient of the UB Athletics scholarship award, a scholarship that was endowed from proceeds from the BRF’s first luncheon in 1991, was Christine Haraldson (women’s tennis). Christine is a sophomore from Hoellviken, Sweden who finished the 2015-16 season with a 9-3 record.

Fall Golf Tourney Returns to Its Roots

The annual Fall Classic returned to its roots, the Crag Burn Club, where its inaugural golf tournament was held in East Aurora in 1982. Co-chairs Ronald Raccuia and David Schutte chaperoned an awesome day of comradery at one of Western New York’s finest golf venues.

Kudos to our event sponsors:
Tournament Sponsors – ADPRO Sports, Pegula Sports and Entertainment
Cart Sponsor – New Era Cap
Dinner Sponsor – McGuire Development Company
Lunch Sponsor – Hodgson Russ LLP
Flag Sponsors – Hoffman Hanafin & Associates, Dunn Tire and New Wave Energy
Putting Contest Sponsor – LPCiminelli
Scoreboard Sponsor – Tronconi Segarra

We continue to support local charities through our annual grant program. During 2015, our charitable dollars were donated to Catholic Charities, the USS Little Rock Commissioning Project, and the Signature Project, a project that will be announced sometime in the near future.

Not many other not-for-profit agencies can say that every dollar raised in their fund-raising events goes 100% to charity or is put into their endowment for future charitable giving. Our director dues fund 100% of our administrative costs and director expenses, so every dollar raised ends up in the hands of charities or organizations that meet our mission.

Thank you for your support in the past and into the future. Hopefully you find our work inspirational, interesting, and fun, as well as something you will continue to be a part of. Together, we can continue to move Buffalo, forward.

The BRF has a Facebook page to stay in touch with our benefactors, corporate sponsors and friends. Please "like" us on Facebook.

Buffalo Renaissance
Foundation 2016
Board of Directors

Michael J. Montante
Foundation President

Donald Boswell
Donald V. Brown, Jr.
Frank L. Ciminelli II
John K. S. Cleary
William S. Cleary
Robert J. Clerici
Thomas J. Comer, Jr.
James F. Dentinger
Matthew K. Enstice
Andrew L. Fors
John Gavigan
Timothy J. Geiger
Richard N. Gilbert, MD
Scott T. Hoffman
James E. Iglewski
Jimmy F. Jerge, Jr.
Charles G. Jones, Jr.
Anthony Jordan
Eugene G. Kershner
David Kimelberg
Peter S. Marlette
Tod D. Martin
Michael P. Modrzynski
Michael J. Montante
Maurice L. Naylon III
Benjamin N. Obletz
David R. Pfalzgraf, Jr.
Bruce G. Popko, Jr.
Thomas J. Quatroche, Jr.
Thomas S. Quealy
Ronald Raccuia
Hugh M. Russ III
C. Jacob Schneider
David Schutte
James S. Segarra
John F. Somers
Nicholas B. Tzetzo
Paul V. Vukelic
Arthur Wingerter
Daniel J. Zimmer

Executive Director
Scott McManigle