The 35th Annual Real Estate Awards Breakfast raised $1.2 million for the March of Dimes, the second consecutive year that the event produced a seven-figure amount for the nonprofit. The event at the Brae Burn Country Club in Purchase honored three leaders of the Westchester real estate industry.
Don Bucci of project management firm JLL received the March of Dimes Real Estate Award for his successful 20-year career with JLL. His department oversees more than $250 million in work annually. Ray Quartarao of JPMorgan Chase presented the award to Bucci.
Martin Ginsburg, of Ginsburg Development Companies, LLC received the Award for Excellence in Community Development for the on-going project to transform what had been known as the Westchester Financial Center in White Plains into City Square, which now features apartments as well as office and retail space. White Plains Mayor Tom Roach presented the award to Ginsburg.
Timothy M. Jones, CEO of the Robert Martin Company, was presented with the Martin S. Berger Award for Lifetime Achievement, honoring his career in the real estate industry. Jones serves on the Westchester March of Dimes Board of Directors and as co-chair of the March for Babies walk. Joe Simone, president of Simone Development Companies, presented the award to Jones.
The event was emceed by Tara Rosenblum of News 12.
“In the 35 years since its inception, the March of Dimes Real Estate Awards Breakfast has raised over $11 million, $1 million last year alone so we have big shoes to fill,” Rosenblum said in opening the program. “With an over 80-year legacy of this lifesaving work, from polio to newborn screening to health equity, the March of Dimes has been there for your family and with your help it will continue to do so for many generations to come.”
In his acceptance remarks, Bucci said, “There are over 15 million babies around the world born prematurely each year, and of those 15 million, one million of them, babies, will not make it to see their first birthday.” Bucci emphasized how important the work of the March of Dimes is in dealing with premature births.
Ginsburg pointed out that although the award he received was in recognition of the City Square project in White Plains, the project is not yet complete.
“Perhaps the most important part of it still is to be built,” Ginsburg said. “We are going to be building the entire block of Main Street and it’s going to have outdoor dining. We’re closing the garage on Main Street and we’re building that entire front going all the way around the corner to South Lexington.”
Jones began his award acceptance remarks by asking everyone in the audience to rise and join him in singing “God Bless America.” He said that caring for people is an important part of any successful business.
“If you treat people respectfully then they tend to treat you respectfully and if you create a culture that has that sort of approach where everybody is (looking) out for everybody else you get a very positive and supportive culture,” Jones said. “By approaching life that way you learn a lot more and you maximize the creativity and the information you get from everybody around you.”
