JFC Announces 2024 ‘Facets of Hope’ Honorees
The charity will recognize Helzberg Diamonds' Brad Hampton and Day’s Jewelers’ Corey family at its annual event.
The annual event will take place on Sunday, June 2, during jewelry market week, in the Palazzo Ballroom at the Venetian Resort Hotel in Las Vegas.
Morris Helzberg opened the first Helzberg Diamonds store in Kansas City in 1915. He soon handed down responsibility to his son Barnett, who sold the company to Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway in 1995.
Beryl Raff took lead of the company in 2009, and in 2012, the brand established “Helzberg Helps” to honor its philanthropic traditions with the mission of leading fundraising efforts and organizing volunteer activities, primarily for charitable entities that support the benefit of children and families in need.
In 2017, Helzberg Diamonds received the Corporate Legacy of Philanthropy Award—which honors the actions taken by a corporation to better the lives in its local community while making a difference globally—at The Diamond Empowerment Fund’s Diamonds Do Good gala in Las Vegas.
Hampton took over the role of CEO last year and has continued Helzberg’s mission while also being personally involved in his local community.
He serves as a director on the board of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Missouri & Kansas and as president of the board of trustees for Center Place Restoration School. He previously on the board of Junior Achievement of Greater Kansas City.
The Corey family is also active in the community.
In 1988, Jeff and Kathy, along with Jeff’s brother, purchased the eight-store Day’s Jewelers chain, which was founded in 1914. Their son Joe joined them in the business in 2006.
Today, Joe serves as president and Jeff and Kathy serve on the board of directors, with Jeff serving as chair.
Day’s was recognized as a “Best Place to Work in Maine” for multiple years and as “Retailer of the Year” by the Retail Association of Maine in 2016. In 2019, the store received the Renys Large Business Award from the Institute for Family-Owned Business of Maine.
Jeff has served as treasurer and president of the Downtown Waterville Business Association, and he is one of the original founders of local festival Taste of Waterville, where he served as chairman for many years.
He is also a past director and chairman of the Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce.
Jeff is a past president of the Maine Jewelers Association, a longstanding member of the JCK Las Vegas Show Advisory board and a 2000 inductee into the National Jeweler Hall of Fame.
He has served on the Jewelers of America board of directors, the Jewelers for Children board, the De Beers/Forevermark Advisory Council, and he is currently a director on the Jewelers Board of Trade board.
Kathy has served on a dozen boards, including the Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce, the State of Maine’s Main Street Program, the Waterville Recreational and Arts Cultural Center, and the Kennebec Community College Foundation. She is currently serving on the Northern Light Health Board of Directors and Diamonds Do Good board.
She has received the Elias A. Joseph Award for Chamber Service from the Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce, the “Woman of the Year” award from the Business and Professional Women’s Organization, the Corporate Award for Excellence from the Women’s Jewelry Association, and the “Retailer of the Year for the State of Maine” award by the Retail Association of Maine.
Joe also serves on several boards including Jewelers for Children, Jewelers of America, the Jewelry Industry Coalition and the JCK Show Advisory Board. He also played a leading role in creating the Employee Stock Ownership Plan in 2021 that allowed ownership of Day’s to move to its employees.
In Day’s 2014 celebration of 100 years in business, it raised over $100,000 for Jewelers for Children, involving all of its employees and the local communities where their stores and customers are located.
“Brad, Jeff, Kathy and Joe, clearly exemplify the best of Jewelers for Children and their commitment to our success is unmatched,” said JFC Board Chair Jeffrey Cohen.
“With their headlining the Facets of Hope event in 2024, it will prove to be one of our most successful events in our history.”
In addition to honoring Hampton and the Corey family, JFC will reveal the outcome of the year’s fundraising as well as the donations it is pledging to charity partners.
The evening begins at 6 p.m. with food and cocktails. There will be a brief program to recognize the 2023 honorees, followed by dessert.
Details on sponsorship opportunities can be found on JFC’s website.
JFC was founded in 1999 by the U.S. jewelry industry with the mission of enriching the lives of children.
Since its inception, JFC has raised more than $60 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Make-A-Wish America, and the National CASA Association.
JFC also provides support to Make-A-Wish International and the Organization for Autism Research.
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