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The YWCA Central Alabama held its second annual YWhisper Event on June 6, 2013, at REV Birmingham’s brand new SocialVenture Space in Woodlawn, Ala. The event aimed to engage young professionals, raise awareness about the YWCA’s programs and services and promote “uncomfortable cocktail conversation.”

During my time as a YWCA board member, I have come to learn the importance of “uncomfortable conversation.” Sometimes the issues affecting our community can be the hardest issues to discuss. Race, homelessness and domestic violence aren’t exactly the “go-to” topics for conversation in a professional setting. The YWCA Central Alabama wants to change that. We want to teach our young professionals the importance of speaking up on these issues. Why whisper when you can speak up and evoke change in your community?

This year’s event highlighted “YWoodlawn,” the neighborhood revitalization work being done by the YWCA in Woodlawn, Ala. The revitalization includes the new Interfaith Hospitality House (IHH). The IHH is one of Alabama’s only permanent facilities serving two-parent families experiencing homelessness.  YWoodlawn has inspired residents, local schools, churches and other organizations, to come together to help revitalize Woodlawn. All funds raised during YWhisper will go towards the IHH.

For the last 110 years, the YWCA has worked to create a more caring community, provide a place of refuge and respond to the needs of women and their families. The program’s main focuses include: affordable housing, child care, domestic violence services and social justice. In 2012 alone, the YW provided 88,042 nights of safe and affordable housing to 339 individuals. See more program statistics here.

Discussing issues such as homelessness and domestic violence can be hard, especially when you don’t feel that you have the power to change them. That’s why I encourage everyone to support the YWCA of Central Alabama.  It’s an impossible task for one person, but if we come together we can have a great impact on our community and help those in need.

Please visit www.ywcabham.org to learn how you can help.

Sirote Supports, a Sirote & Permutt initiative, provides support to programs that strengthen the community and positively impact the areas of health, education and the arts. To learn more about Sirote & Permutt, please visit us at www.sirote.com.

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Supporters of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama (BCRFA) turned out on Saturday, May 18, to enjoy the 5^th Annual Pink Palace Casino Night at Ted’s Garage in downtown Birmingham. This year, Pink Palace Casino Night went to the Caribbean, and it could not have been more entertaining for all the supporters.

I am not only a board member of the BCRFA, I am also a volunteer and a huge supporter. Having had breast cancer myself while my kids were young, I feel passionately about supporting this cause. The Pink Palace Casino Night has long been one of my favorite events of the BCRFA. With the extravagant themes and casino games, being a part of a great cause has never been so enjoyable.

With the “Gone to the Caribbean” theme, guests enjoyed photos in the “Pirates of the Caribbean Room” and getting “inked” (temporarily of course) in the “Treasure Island Room.” The night was filled with Vegas-style casino games like blackjack, poker, roulette and slot machines. After the games, everyone enjoyed entertainment and dancing by Goodfellas.

The Pink Palace Casino Night was followed by the 18^th Annual Drive-Out Breast Cancer LPGA Golf Tournament. The golf tournament was held on Monday, May 20, at the Old Overton Club. Amateur teams were paired with a female professional golfer in a scramble format. After a day of golf with the pros, all the golfers were invited to the awards party.

Since the BCRFA was founded in 1996, it has raised almost $4 million for cancer research, cutting edge equipment and experimental therapies at the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center. The money raised at these events will be used in part to recruit researchers to UAB, who will develop new ideas that will ultimately lead to better detection, treatment and an eventual cure of breast cancer.

I am so proud of my firm, Sirote & Permutt, for supporting BCRFA and for sponsoring the 5^th Annual Pink Palace Casino Night and the 18^th Annual Drive-Out Breast Cancer LPGA Golf Tournament. To all of my fellow attorneys and other professionals at Sirote and everyone who attended the fundraisers, I want to thank you for supporting the BCRFA! Through your support and donations, we can come together to fight breast cancer and maybe one day beat it!

Sirote Supports, a Sirote & Permutt initiative, provides support to programs that strengthen the community and positively impact the areas of health, education and the arts. To learn more about Sirote & Permutt, please visit us at www.sirote.com.

By Joe Bluestein, Sirote & Permutt attorney

Did you know Alabama has the third highest death rate from prostate cancer in the country? For this very reason Dr. Thomas E. Moody, a Birmingham Urologist and good friend of mine, founded the Urology Health Foundation in 2003. Ever since serving as the foundation’s attorney, this cause has become very close to my heart. I’m so proud to have the support of my firm and fellow attorneys here at Sirote.

Dr. Moody’s main goal in starting the foundation was to promote public awareness about prostate cancer and provide free screenings across Alabama, especially to those in underserved areas. Since the Foundation is a non profit, many fundraisers are held throughout the year to raise money to continue screenings and expand outreach. One of their biggest fundraisers for the foundation is the Tour de Blue bicycle ride.

This year, Tour de Blue featured new cycling routes, with 50, 75 and 100 mile options, and a new host venue at Red Diamond Coffee’s corporate headquarters in Moody. Many people came out to participate and support the cause including father-daughter teams and physicians from across the state. It was nice to see so many different types of people come together for this cause and to promote awareness in the community.

Since The Urology Health Foundation is a locally based non profit, donations stay in the state of Alabama. These donations are put towards educating men and their families on the importance of early screening and detection of prostate cancer. The money also goes to helping at-risk men have access to free screenings. Since 2007, the foundation has screened thousands of men for prostate cancer free-of-charge. Throughout 2013, the Foundation plans to hold screenings in 13 counties in Alabama. Through these free screenings, countless lives have and will be saved.

I can’t stress enough how important it is to support the Urology Health Foundation. When you support the foundation, whether through event participation, or making a donation, you are increasing awareness of early detection and therefore, saving lives.

For more information or to donate to the Urology Health Foundation, please visit www.UrologyHealthFoundation.org.

Sirote Supports, a Sirote & Permutt initiative, provides support to programs that strengthen the community and positively impact the areas of health, education and the arts. To learn more about Sirote & Permutt, please visit us at www.sirote.com.

By Rod Steakley, Sirote & Permutt attorney

As the Alabama A&M University Board of Trustee’s Attorney, it was an honor to attend the 13^th Annual Alabama A&M University’s Black Tie Scholarship Gala in Huntsville. The event was held April 5, at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, Al. This year’s theme was “Ensuring the Legacy of Excellence Through Scholarship and Research.”

The theme could not have fit better for what those of us here at Sirote have continued to strive for since the firm was founded. My fellow attorneys and I have long made a commitment to education and making it one of the most important efforts we focus on in our communities.

James “Jimmy” Permutt, one of the firm’s original founders, served on the Mountain Brook Board of Education for 28 years. Jimmy was essential in helping make the Mountain Brook School System nationally ranked and recognized. Since Jimmy, other Sirote attorneys have acknowledged the importance of education as well and chosen to be active members in serving the educational community, as school board members, members of university boards of trustees, and in many other capacities. This includes serving on the board of the Southern Association for Colleges and Schools, a primary accrediting body for colleges and universities.

This is why the Black Tie Scholarship Gala was such a memorable night for me. It is extremely important to make the opportunity to honor our community leaders and businesses here in Huntsville that have such a significant impact on the University and its students. We should continue to recognize the achievements of these individuals and organizations, and their continued efforts in supporting the University.

Many awards were presented at the gala to deserving organizations. A few of the awards included, Large Organization of the Year (Aramark), Small Organization of the Year (Dr. John J. Greco, TOC), and the Diversity Award (Alabama Power). The Koinonia Award, an award that recognizes an organization for establishing a mutually beneficial partnership with Alabama A&M University and its students, went to First Missionary Baptist Church. Congratulations to these organizations, and all the others, for their accomplishments.

Nights like these remind us how important it is for a community to come together and celebrate each others’ contributions and successes toward the betterment of education. As we keep these relationships strong, our community as well as the people and organizations within it, will continue to thrive together.

I would like to thank all the organizations and individuals who have, and will continue, to ensure the “Legacy of Excellence” for Alabama A&M University here in Huntsville.

Sirote Supports, a Sirote & Permutt initiative, provides support to programs that strengthen the community and positively impact the areas of health, education and the arts. To learn more about Sirote & Permutt, please visit us at www.sirote.com.

By Robert Baugh, Sirote & Permutt attorney and President of the Birmingham Bar Association

As the current President of the Birmingham Bar Association, it is an honor to serve during such an important time in our nation’s history. The Journey for Justice Gala, held May 4, 2013, was a special opportunity to bring together the legal community and commemorate the role of lawyers and our legal system during the civil rights events in Birmingham in 1963. As a Sirote & Permutt attorney, I am proud of our support and contributions toward making the Journey for Justice Gala a success.

Dr. Clarence B. Jones, former personal counsel, speech writer and close friend of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered the keynote address. In addition, Dr. Jones joined 27 other legal pioneers who were recognized at the event for their contributions to the Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham.

The honorees included Sirote’s own J. Mason Davis, Jr. and the late General Edward Friend – one of the firm’s original founders. Eddie Friend, son of General Friend and fellow attorney at Sirote, accepted the award on behalf of General Friend’s family.

Along with recognizing honorees, the event previewed a remarkable documentary film “Preserving Justice,” which was produced by The Center for Public Television and Radio, the award-winning multimedia production center housed at the University of Alabama’s College of Communication and Information Sciences. The film highlights the important events that took place in 1963. These stories tell how members of the Birmingham legal community came together during the Birmingham Civil Rights Movement and changed the world. I strongly encourage you to watch the trailer at www.preservingjustice.org.

It is important to recognize and always remember the heroic efforts of these attorneys and judges during the Civil Rights Movement and all they sacrificed in order to bring about change. Attendees of Journey for Justice Gala, including myself, could not help but leave inspired and ready to continue working for justice.

On behalf of the Birmingham Bar Association, I would like to thank everyone for coming together to celebrate such a significant time in, not only our community’s, but our nation’s history. As members of the legal community, it is our duty to continue what those before us started and to always remember the sacrifices that were made in order to move this nation forward.

Click here to see photos from this historic event.

Complete List of the Journey for Justice Honorees

The Honorable Oscar W. Adams, Jr.; Norman Amaker; James K. Baker; Abe Berkowitz; Orzell Billingsley, Jr.; Harvey Burg; The Honorable U.W. Clemon; Jerome “Buddy” Cooper; J. Mason Davis, Jr.; Edward Friend, Jr.; The Honorable Peter A. Hall; Charles Hamilton Houston; The Honorable Frank M. Johnson; Paul Johnston; Dr. Clarence B. Jones; The Honorable Tom King, Sr.; The Honorable Thurgood Marshall; The Honorable Nina Miglionico; Charles C. Morgan, Jr.; Constance Baker Motley; The Honorable Demetriuis C. Newton; J. Vernon Patrick; The Honorable J. Richmond Pearson; The Honorable Arthur D. Shores; C.H. Erskine Smith; The Honorable Robert Vance, Sr.; The Honorable David Vann; W.L. Williams, Jr.

Sirote Supports, a Sirote & Permutt initiative, provides support to programs that strengthen the community and positively impact the areas of health, education and the arts. To learn more about Sirote & Permutt, please visit us at www.sirote.com.

By Jeri Boyd, Sirote & Permutt paralegal and Alabama Parkinson’s Fighter Walk founder

Many people have been asking how the Parkinson’s Unity Walk in New York City went.  With over 10,000 people attending the walk from all across the nation, it is truly something you just have to experience for yourself.

The walk was held April 27^th in New York’s Central Park and raised over $1,586,000 so far for research and awareness for Parkinson’s disease.  Our team, Alabama Parkinson’s Fighters, alone raised a total of over $12,000!

I would like to thank everyone for their support, especially those on our team, including, Rick and Susan Conger and Jenny Wilson. We had such a wonderful time supporting a great cause.

I look very forward to seeing everyone at our 2014 walk the second Saturday in March.  We have reserved Alabaster’s Veteran’s Park again. We will begin our fundraising for next year very soon so keep a look out for more details!

To see photos from the event, click here. To watch the interview, click here.

Sirote Supports, a Sirote & Permutt initiative, provides support to programs that strengthen the community and positively impact the areas of health, education and the arts. To learn more about Sirote & Permutt, please visit us at www.sirote.com.

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We’re fortunate in Birmingham to have countless women who make a difference every day. Doctors, philanthropists, business women and those in the nonprofit sector spend their days concerned with the well being of others. It’s part of what makes this city great.

Now, a new joint venture between The Birmingham News/al.com and Red Mountain Theatre Company aims to acknowledge many of these women through their inaugural Women Who Make a Difference award.

Twenty-one women were chosen from hundreds of nominations for this award, and among them is Tricia Kirk, executive director of the Exceptional Foundation, an organization close to my heart.

The Exceptional Foundation serves mentally and physically challenged individuals in the Greater Birmingham area by targeting social and recreational objectives not met by educational institutions or the community at large.  Tricia has been executive director since 2001, and has grown the organization immensely, increasing participants in the organization from 18 per day to 95 per day.

Annual events like the Exceptional Foundation Chili Cook-off, the Jingle Bell Ball and the Exceptional Foundation Art Show work to raise funds for this worthy organization, and Tricia oversees these events, ensuring their success.

Her impact on the Exceptional Foundation – and all the participants it serves – is undeniable.

Tricia will be honored with 20 other Women Who Make a Difference at a July 9 luncheon and during performances of RMTC’s “42nd Street” (July 11- Aug. 4). For information on corporate sponsorship or ticket sales, call Deidra Perry at 205-325-3343.

Read more Sirote Supports coverage of the Exceptional Foundation here, here and here.

Sirote Supports, a Sirote & Permutt initiative, provides support to programs that strengthen the community and positively impact the areas of health, education and the arts. To learn more about Sirote & Permutt, please visit us at www.sirote.com.

Birmingham has embarked on a yearlong commemoration of the 50th anniversary of 1963 – a pivotal year in the Civil Rights era and in our city’s history.  The celebration – named 50 Years Forward – offers numerous opportunities throughout the year for us to reflect on the Civil Rights era and honor those who played leading roles.  Click here for a link to the AL.com article on the event.

One of the signature events of 50 Years Forward will be held Saturday, May 4, 2013 – the Journey for Justice Gala sponsored by the Birmingham Bar Foundation, the Magic City Bar Association and the Birmingham Bar Association.  According to the 50 Years Forward website, the event “will recognize and commend the courageous attorneys who fought for justice while facing violence, as well as professional and social ostracism during the Civil Rights Movement.”

The event will also preview a remarkable 26-minute documentary film “Preserving Justice,” which was produced by The Center for Public Television and Radio, the award-winning multi-media production center housed at the University of Alabama’s College of Communication and Information Sciences.  The film highlights attorneys’ contributions and the roles attorneys played in the important events of the Civil Rights Movement.

Clarence B. Jones, former personal counsel, speech writer and close friend of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., will deliver the keynote address.  In addition, Dr. Jones joins 27 other legal pioneers who will be recognized at the event for their contributions to the Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham including Sirote’s J. Mason Davis, Jr. and the late General Edward Friend – one of the firm’s original founders.

In 1935, J. Mason Davis, Jr. was born in Birmingham. He was educated in segregated Birmingham public schools and later attended Talladega College where he received an A.B. degree with highest honors. After graduating from the State University of New York School of Law as a member of the Law Review, he returned to Birmingham and began his law practice in 1960. From the day he returned to Birmingham, Mason Davis has remained a dedicated and inspirational leader in the civil rights movement.

As the attorney for a number of students who participated in the widely publicized Huntsville lunch counter sit-ins during 1961 and 1962, Davis played a key role in the desegregation of Alabama. He argued a series of appeals and won every case at the Court of Appeals.

Like J. Mason Davis, Jr., Edward M. Friend, Jr. was also born in Birmingham, although some 23 years earlier. He graduated from Phillips High School and was a 1933 Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Alabama. After receiving his law degree from Alabama in 1935 he practiced law in Birmingham until 1941 when he entered military service.

While serving his country, Friend served in North Africa, participated in the invasion of Sicily and then landed on Utah Beach on June 7, 1944, the day after D-day. He had a long and distinguished military career and was released from active duty with the rank of colonel, although he continued his military service in the Army Reserve retiring with the rank of Brigadier General.

After the war, General Friend (as he was fondly named) returned to Birmingham to practice law where he co-founded the firm now known as Sirote & Permutt. While General Friend was proficient in the fields of tax law and corporate and estate planning, he is most fondly remembered for being a compassionate humanitarian.

Early in his career he founded, organized and served as the first president of the Birmingham Legal Aid Society, where he vigorously campaigned for improved race relations and worked tirelessly to that end. While serving as president of the Birmingham Bar Association, General Friend fought for the admission of persons of color, and his efforts successfully opened the organization to many more black attorneys. As J. Mason Davis, Jr. has stated many times, “General Friend knew instinctively what was fair, just and honorable; he did the right things for the right reasons.”

The Journey for Justice will be a historic evening for Birmingham and represents a pivotal event in the city’s 50 Years Forward celebration of the Civil Rights Movement.   We hope you will have the opportunity to attend on May 4 to join the celebration.  To purchase tickets CLICK HERE. To see photos, click here.

Complete List of the Journey for Justice Honorees

The Honorable Oscar W. Adams, Jr.; Norman Amaker; James K. Baker; Abe Berkowitz; Orzell Billingsley, Jr.;  Harvey Burg; The Honorable U.W. Clemon;  Jerome “Buddy” Cooper;  J. Mason Davis, Jr.; Edward Friend, Jr.; The Honorable Peter A. Hall; Charles Hamilton Houston; The Honorable Frank M. Johnson; Paul Johnston;  Dr. Clarence B. Jones; The Honorable Tom King, Sr.; The Honorable Thurgood Marshall; The Honorable Nina Miglionico; Charles C. Morgan, Jr.; Constance Baker Motley; The Honorable Demetriuis C. Newton; J. Vernon Patrick; The Honorable J. Richmond Pearson; The Honorable Arthur D. Shores; C.H. Erskine Smith; The Honorable Robert Vance, Sr.; The Honorable David Vann; W.L. Williams, Jr.

Sirote Supports, a Sirote & Permutt initiative, provides support to programs that strengthen the community and positively impact the areas of health, education and the arts. To learn more about Sirote & Permutt, please visit us at www.sirote.com.

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What do you do with a dynamo gumbo recipe, a couple of Duck Dynasty costumes and a group of attorneys who want to help others? You enter the 3^rd annual Girls, Inc., Cajun cook-off, of course!

If you smelled Cajun spices coming from Birmingham’s Linn Park on Saturday, April 13, then you got a sense (or, scents) of what was going on for Girls, Inc., an organization that encourages girls to become successful and productive community citizens by providing knowledge and life skills that focus on health, education, financial literacy and career readiness.

I’m proud to report that TeamSirote took home the runner up award for team spirit and FIRST PLACE for our gumbo! All the chopping, seasoning and preparation paid off in a big way, but the real winner of the day was Girls, Inc.

Our team members – Susan Conger, Bobby Picou, Josh Hornady, Andy Andrews, Brodie James, Jacob Kiser and myself – enjoyed spending a beautiful Saturday showing our support for this great organization through our culinary skills.

The Cajun Cook-Off is the signature fundraiser for Girls Inc., of Central Alabama. Since 1938, Girls Inc., has inspired girls and young women to be strong, smart and bold.  We are proud to do our part for such a worthwhile organization. See photos of the event here and here.

Sirote Supports, a Sirote & Permutt initiative, provides support to programs that strengthen the community and positively impact the areas of health, education and the arts. To learn more about Sirote & Permutt, please visit us at www.sirote.com.

Since the firm began in the 1940s, one of the main pillars of Sirote & Permutt has been volunteer work and charity. The firm’s founders emphasized the importance of each attorney finding a cause he or she believed in, and donating time and/or money to it.

That’s why we are so proud that Sirote Supports, a Sirote & Permutt initiative, recently received the 2013 Communitas Award from the Association of Marketing and Communications Professionals. We’d like to thank the association for this recognition. However, while winning this prestigious award is a great honor, the real privilege comes from helping others.

Sirote Supports was developed as a way to share the messages and upcoming events of charities and nonprofits. Sharing the messages of these groups is especially important in April during National Volunteer Week, which takes place April 21-27.

At Sirote & Permutt, we are encouraged to volunteer for the causes and organization we feel passionately about. Whether it is raising money for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama, working for the American Red Cross, or helping families with sick children at the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Alabama, I encourage you to go to work for a cause in which you believe.

Taking time to read through previous articles here on the Sirote Supports website may help inspire you. Volunteering for a charity or nonprofit helps those in need and gives you the opportunity to be part of something bigger than yourself. National Volunteer Week is the perfect time to get involved.

Sirote Supports, a Sirote & Permutt initiative, provides support to programs that strengthen the community and positively impact the areas of health, education and the arts. To learn more about Sirote & Permutt, please visit us at www.sirote.com.