Charitable Works Award
Kim Unger
Firm: Security Traders Association of New York
It would seem appropriate that an ordained minister is the recipient of this years award for Charitable Works.
And that is exactly who Kim Unger is. A graduate from the New Seminary in 1996 as well as a Villanova University alumnus, she has been involved in or around philanthropy for some time.
I have been very fortunate as the CEO of STANY to have been able to enlist my and STANYs efforts to affect a broad range of charitable causes, Unger told Traders. This past year, our focus was Susan G. Komen Greater New York. In the past, we have worked on educational, veterans and community causes. But my passion and longtime focus has been the MDAs Wings Over Wall Street. My commitment to the MDA started in the late 1990s. I have helped further the mission of Wings Over Wall Street for at least 10 years and have been on WOWs executive committee for five or six years.
Her deep passion for WOW stems from her grandfather, who had had ALS. All told, Unger has over the course of 20 years worked to raise money for about 35 different charities.
On a more personal level, STAs Unger is supportive of charities and organizations that promote micro-finance such as the Grameen Foundation.
She credits her involvement in philanthropy to John Tognino, who introduced her to and got her involved with the MDA Muscle Team. Before that, she had been interested in supporting charities, but she says Tognino really inspired her to take her commitment to the next level.
Being a part of STANY, with its hundreds of committed and active members, makes being involved in charitable work easy, Unger said.
Through that connection, I have been able to focus on so many worthwhile charities-St. Judes, Babies and Childrens Hospital, Stop Soldier Suicide, The Special Olympics, Ronald McDonald House, Futures and Options, the list goes on.
