Powerlifting Lawyer-Extraordinaire’s Nomination for a Classy Award!

As you know, we at Zealous Good are huge fans of the Classy Awards. The Classy awards aim to select the top philanthropic and charitable activities from nonprofits, businesses, and organizations around the world to recognize them for their actions.  The awards allow the nonprofits to gain national exposure as well as monetary prizes towards their cause.  This time around, we’re excited to share Dan Cotter’s nomination for his Lifting To Lend-A-Hand campaign!  Dan combines his passion for powerlifting with his leadership skills to help those in need.  In 2010, successfully raised more than $30,000 for Lend-A-Hand with his lifting partner Michael Abramson, and has raised more than $175,000 over eight years.  I had the pleasure of chatting a bit with Dan to learn about his participation in the nonprofit scene.  Says Dan about his nonprofit beginnings:

“My parents provided a good example.  We did not have much but they always helped others as best they could.  My involvement and initial exposure was as a young lawyer in the Chicago Bar Association Young Lawyers Section….As a YLS leader, the organization was looking to have more young lawyers be involved in mentoring. I had two young boys at home so could not commit to weekly sessions.  I had started powerlifting and thought it would be unique and might raise some funds to help foster mentoring.” –Cotter

The Classy Awards work using public nominations for praiseworthy charities, businesses, and individuals.  A panel of judges then pick the most unique, ambitious, and successful nominees to be finalists in each category.  These finalists will then be voted on by the public online, then they are entered in the National Classy Awards.  The big bang at the end is the awards ceremony in San Diego on November 2nd.  The 10 National Classy Awards Winners will then receive more than $100,000 in the form of cash and in-kind services!  Not bad, huh?  Needless to say, any nonprofit would love to be included in this great oportunity.  You can help out Dan and Lifting to Lend-A-Hand by “Liking” the Stay Classy award page!

“Stay Classy has established itself as the premier philanthropy organization.  They through the awards and in general have raised visibility of the hundreds and thousands of wonderful activities going on around the country.  I think being in the finalists group will enhance the visibility of Lend-A-Hand locally and nationwide.  That can do nothing but help mentoring.” –Cotter

Another truly inspiring aspect of Dan’s Lend-A-Hand campaign is the fact that someone so busy still finds time to help others.  Dan is a practicing lawyer with a young family.  He manages to fit in raising money for mentoring along side family time, work, and fitness.  Dan talks about how one can always find time to help others:

“Everyone can do their part and find some time.  I love the quote from rfk  – “Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events and In the total of these acts will be written the history of this generation.”. What ends up happening is that the different roles become intertwined.   Some of my clients are nonprofits.  I sit on the boards of some nonprofits and use my skills as a lawyer to help them.  Everyone can get their time and find time to do much.  We all have the same 24 hours in the day – it is what we CHOOSE to do with those hours.” -Cotter

So very true!  We hope Dan’s story and participation in Lend-A-Hand is as inspiring to you as it is for us!!  A big thank you to Dan for taking the time to chat with me, as well as for doing so much Good.