Giving Tuesday: Balentine Gives Back

For the past five years, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving (and subsequent “shopping holidays” Black Friday and Cyber Monday) has been celebrated as #GivingTuesday, a day to refocus on what matters most—giving back to those in need. Balentine believes strongly in giving through the “Three T’s” of time, talent, and treasure, and this November has been no exception!

On Thursday, November 16th, Robert Balentine and Brittain Prigge spent an incredibly cold evening on the streets of Atlanta to raise money and awareness for youth homelessness as part of Covenant House Georgia’s Executive Sleep Out. On average, 3,300 youth spend the night on the streets of Atlanta each evening, within an approximate radius of five miles from Balentine’s headquarters. Their stories are tragic, but these teens are working on a better tomorrow with the help of the staff at Covenant House Georgia. Thanks to support from family members, employees, clients, and partners, Team Balentine raised more than $27,000, and the entire evening raised more than $720,000, all to help put an end to youth homelessness in Atlanta.

Balentine fielded a team for the Spin4 Crohn’s & Colitis Cures event on Saturday, November 11th. Team Captain Christina Callesis, Katie McClanahan, and Ina Toderita took turns cycling during the two-hour relay held on a cold Saturday afternoon. Team Balentine exceeded its $1,000 fundraising goal, helping get a bit closer to a cure for the 1.6 million Americans suffering from Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.

For the past several years, Brittain Prigge has gathered Balentine employees to volunteer with L.E.A.D., an organization that helps male student athletes learn important life skills. On Friday, November 10th, a team of Balentinians helped at the 2017 L.E.A.D. Champions Celebration; this baseball clinic for 250+ Atlanta Public Schools students was held at the Brave’s new home of SunTrust Park.

One way Balentine gives back as a firm is through our annual holiday gift drive. This year, we’ve chosen to once again collect gifts for Covenant House Georgia. All gifts will help give these teens a cheerful holiday season full of things they need—such as warm winter clothes—and some things they want, as well. Please contact Christina Callesis, Balentine’s volunteer coordinator, if you’d like to learn more about how you can get involved.

As the holiday season begins, Relationship Manager John Maddison recently wrote about how to instill a love of philanthropy in children of all ages. Finally, don't forget to talk with your relationship manager or client service associate about important year-end giving deadlines.

Happy holidays from all of us at Balentine!