Oct 26, 2009
Stamford Resident To Receive Sylvia Lawry Founder’s Award
Karen E. Butler, Vice President of Communications
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Stamford Resident To Receive Sylvia Lawry Founder’s Award
STAMFORD, Conn. – Michael A. Berkoff, president and chief executive officer of Bevmax, Inc., has been named the recipient of the 2009 Sylvia Lawry Founder’s Award. The award is presented by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Connecticut Chapter and is given to businesses and corporations making a significant difference in their communities and beyond. The award will be presented to Berkoff at this year’s MS Dinner of Champions at the Hyatt Regency in Old Greenwich Thursday, Nov. 12.
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Michael A. Berkoff |
A fourth-generation retailer, Berkoff has been named one of the top ten market leaders by Market Watch Magazine Leaders Alumni, which comprises the top 143 off-premise alcoholic beverage retailers. He has been the recipient of numerous industry awards and the subject of featured articles. Bevmax, which features locations in Stamford, Norwalk, Hamden, Orange, Bridgeport, West Haven and Port Chester, is consistently among the nation’s top 10 highest-grossing retail wine and liquor stores for stand-alone locations. In 2009 Nightclub & Bar Magazine named Bevmax its Retailer of the Year.
Berkoff has served as a Stamford police commissioner since 1997. He is actively involved with the Mickey Lione Fund and its annual Celebrity Food & Wine event and is a major contributor to the Stamford Shelter for the Homeless and the Rienzi Foundation for Cochlear Implant Research. Bevmax has also participated in events to benefit the Food Bank of Stamford and the American Cancer Society.
“Bevmax and I are dedicated to fostering strong relationships with the communities we serve,” said Berkoff, who resides in Stamford. “The Bevmax family is committed to giving back to community and committed to ensuring quality of life throughout the region.”
The Sylvia Lawry Founder’s Award was created in memory of Sylvia Lawry, who established the National Multiple Sclerosis Society in 1946 and served as its executive director until 1982. The award recognizes corporations whose philosophy views community relations and not-for-profit activities as vital to ongoing corporate mission.
“Michael has been involved with our chapter and MS Dinner of Champions for many years,” says Lisa Gerrol, Connecticut Chapter president. “He is committed to outreach and has made a difference in the lives of Connecticut residents battling the unpredictable effects of multiple sclerosis. For this reason, we are delighted to recognize Michael and Bevmax with this year’s business award.”
This year’s dinner event will be hosted by Bobby Valentine, former Major League Baseball (MLB) player and until recently the manager of the Chiba Lotte Marines of Japan’s Pacific League. He has been actively involved for more than 20 years with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Connecticut Chapter and its mission to end MS.
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic and often disabling disease of the central nervous system. The effects of MS are unpredictable. Symptoms can include numbness and tingling in the extremities, difficulties with vision and speech, stiffness, fatigue and, in some severe cases, total paralysis. The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot be predicted, and there is no cure. The cause is unknown and, as a result, there currently is no cure for MS. Funds raised through events, such as the MS Dinner of Champions, ensure ongoing scientific research to find a cure and provide for the continuation of vital programs and services offered by the chapter to Connecticut residents diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
The 2009 MS Dinner of Champions event will include a cocktail reception, dinner, an awards ceremony, and both silent and live auctions. For more information or to purchase tickets to the 2009 MS Dinner of Champions, please contact Kim Maloney at 800-FIGHT MS or e-mail kmaloney@ctfightsms.org.
10/26/09
Karen E. Butler
Vice President / Communications
kbutler@ctfightsMS.org
work: +1 860.714.2300, ext. 230
cell: +1 860.997.4487
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