SPREE INSIDER A charitable challenge from Ethan Allen By Kathyrn DeLong Generosity is ubiquitous during the holiday season. But the Western New York community has gotten altruism down to an art and doles out the philanthropic love throughout the entire year, not just when Santa is making his list and checking it twice. The winning Hospice room, “after”. Images courtesy of Ethan Allen. Hospice and Ethan Allen staff. In May, the design team at Ethan Allen embarked on a charitable journey dubbed the Ethan Allen Community Challenge, sponsored by Buffalo Spree. The idea, rooted in admirable intentions, acted as an opportunity for the company to get involved with the community and support local organizations. The second annual event called upon Buffalo Hearing & Speech Center, Gateway-Longview, Gilda’s Club of Western New York, Hospice of Western New York, and Kevin Guest House to participate in this year’s challenge. Then, patrons and public alike were asked to vote for their “Charity of Choice.” Each participating organization received a $1,000 gift certificate to raffle or auction off at its own event, while the winner, Hospice, walked away with, or rather into, a $10,000 room makeover. The Hospice room “before”. Ken Slomovitz, managing partner at Ethan Allen Design Center, commends all participating organizations for having such a benevolent influence within the community. “We chose these organizations because they all touch the lives of people in Western New York,” Slomovitz says. “They worked hard to get votes and did it much more nicely than Obama and McCain.” A third annual Ethan Allen Community Challenge is set for 2009. Spree intern Kathryn DeLong is a senior at Clarence High School. She has also written for the Buffalo News "NeXt" supplement. SUBSCRIBE NOW Back to the Table of Contents Back to Top