LaBella in the Community (LINC) – Fall 2025 Roundup

AIDS Ride for Life

Organization: Southern Tier AIDS Program
Event Date: September 6, 2025
Event Location: Ithaca, NY

Event Description: In early September, Southern Tier AIDS Program (STAP) held its 27th annual AIDS Ride for Life, a cycling fundraiser supporting its mission and raising community awareness. Cyclists from across the region gathered at Stewart Park in Ithaca, NY, to ride around Cayuga Lake, supported by volunteers stationed at pitstops around the route, along with vehicle safety teams and bike repair technicians.

This year marked Matthew McCarty’s 12th time participating in the event, joined by Natalee McCarty. Proceeds from the ride—totaling $135,402—will fund vital services for individuals living with HIV/AIDS or managing multiple chronic illnesses, as well as LGBTQ+ youth at the Identity Youth Center and participants in the Syringe Exchange program.

CFF Bake Sale

Organization: Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
Event Date: September 8–12, 2025
Event Location: Rochester, NY

Event Description: Through the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s (CFF) Finest Program, Catherine Thompson organized a week-long bake sale in our Rochester office to raise money and awareness for CFF’s mission to find a cure for cystic fibrosis.

In addition to Catherine, employees from around the office put their baking skills to work to support CCF, including Danielle Lewis, Kathleen Keady, Megan Yoshida, Courtney Ter-Velde, Jamie Nicometi, Eleni Wechsler, Katelyn Burns, Barbara Burke, Mary Steblein, Brendan Bystrak, Andrea Kelly, Mike Simon, and Lauryn DaCosta.

A wide assortment of homemade items were provided for the bake sale—ranging from chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter bars to pumpkin bread, cinnamon rolls, maple oat scones, brownies, focaccia bread, and more. By the end of the week, the team had sold an estimated 500 items and raised an impressive $1,328 for CFF—helping advance essential research and support services for individuals and families living with CF.

High School Leadership Program

Organization: Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Capital Region
Event Date: September 19, 2025
Event Location: Schenectady, NY

Event Description: The High School Leadership Program through Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Capital Region (BBBSCR) connects high school students with local middle and elementary school youth in Schenectady, NY, through a peer-to-peer mentoring model. High school mentors commit to weekly, in-school sessions over the course of the school year, building relationships that support social-emotional development, confidence, and positive role modeling for younger students while helping mentors develop leadership skills of their own.

The program serves 55 students in Schenectady and is part of BBBSCR’s broader mentoring efforts across the four-county Capital Region. Last year, participants in the program showed notable outcomes, including a 69% reduction in depressive symptoms, a 47% reduction in risky behaviors, a 30% decrease in bullying, and a 35% improvement in family trust.

Through our LINC initiative, David Taillon organized a donation to support the program. David has been involved in BBBSCR for decades—as a former Little Brother, Big Brother, and board member, and currently as a Trustees Council member.

Photo Credit: Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Capital Region

2025 Plane Pull

Organization: Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Carolinas
Event Date: September 20, 2025
Event Location: Greenville, SC

Event Description: Brett Wright, Rob Steen, Kyle Vines, and Joseph Whipple put their strength to the test at the 2025 Plane Pull at the Greenville Downtown Airport in support of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Carolinas. Our team joined participants from across the community to haul planes down the runway in this high-energy fundraiser for a meaningful cause.

The 2025 Plane Pull was the largest to date, bringing together more than 20 teams and raising over $36,000 to support families with critically ill or injured children. Proceeds from the event help Ronald McDonald House Charities provide comfort, care, and hope to families when they need it most—making every pull count.

Photo Credit: Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Carolinas

Artist Row 2025

Organization: Artist Row Rochester
Event Date: September 21, 2025
Event Location: Rochester, NY

Event Description: Artist Row, an annual community arts festival at the Rochester Public Market, celebrated its 20th year this past September. Drawing more than 200 emerging and seasoned local artists and artisans, the festival serves as a crossroads for the greater Rochester community, bringing together visitors from across the region for a celebration of art, music, play, and food.

The event is also meaningful for participants like Nick Harkola, whose family has long been involved: his father served as a juror this year, his mother volunteered at the festival, and his aunt sits on the Friends of the Rochester Public Market board.

All proceeds and donations from the event support programs run by the Friends of the Rochester Public Market. This includes the SNAP Token Program, which helps customers use SNAP benefits to purchase fresh foods and makes it easier for vendors to accept them.

Water Filter Build

Organization: Ugandan Water Project
Event Date: September 25, 2025
Event Location: Rochester, NY

Event Description: Employees from our Rochester office partnered with the Ugandan Water Project to help expand access to clean drinking water in Uganda, where nearly one in five people faces severe water shortages and many must travel long distances to reach protected water sources.

During a one-hour, hands-on water filter build session, Barbara Burke, Sarah Langille, Andrea Kelly, Ted Sherwood, Tony Sanganetti, Tazim Khan, Patrick Beyer, and Susan Wylie assembled 58 household water filtration systems that will be shipped to Uganda—providing approximately 290 people with access to safe drinking water.

This effort supports the Ugandan Water Project’s mission to reduce water-related illness and adversity through sustainable, locally supported solutions and reinforces the essential role clean water plays in health, education, and long-term community stability.

Coastal Cleanup at McAllister County Park

Organization: Coastal Steward Long Island
Event Date: September 27, 2025
Event Location: Jefferson, NY

Event Description: LaBella joined Coastal Steward Long Island at McAllister County Park, a 113-acre seafront park on the Long Island Sound, for a beach cleanup in support of International Coastal Cleanup Day. LaBella employees—Trisha Vicale, Jaime Allen, Erin Quell, Tracey Evans, Cynthia Chu, Doug Benyei, Nick Allocco, Blake Campbell, and Jack Bailey—teamed up with family members and six members of Girl Scout Troop #1179 for the event.

The organization’s beach cleanups target everything from plastic bottles to construction debris, tires, and even broken boat parts, with each event typically removing more than 2,000 pounds of waste. Coastal Steward Long Island leads these efforts as part of its work to restore and preserve Long Island’s coastline through education, public awareness, and community action.

Edgewater Beach Cleanup

Organization: Drink Local Drink Tap
Event Date: September 30, 2025
Event Location: Edgewater Beach – Cleveland, OH

Event Description: Drink Local Drink Tap is an international non-profit organization committed to promoting clean water for all. Their mission is to advance global water equity through education, advocacy, and community-centered water, sanitation, and hygiene projects.

In September, employees from LaBella’s Cleveland office joined Drink Local Drink Tap to help pick up trash at Edgewater Beach along the shores of Lake Erie for the second time this year. Our team of five—Deana Sritalapat, Carl Frey, Todd Slaboden, Tareq Masri, and Tuvia Millstein—collected 13.5 pounds of trash, much of it consisting of microplastics.

The Drink Local Drink Tap beach cleanup season has now concluded. With 855 volunteers removing over 90,000 pieces of trash throughout the summer. These efforts demonstrate the impact small, consistent actions can have in protecting our Great Lake.

BGS Earth Science Day

Organization: Buffalo Geological Society
Event Date: October 4, 2025
Event Location: Tapestry Charter School – Buffalo, NY

Event Description: The Buffalo Geological Society (BGS), established in 1938, is a non-profit organization for Western New Yorkers interested in minerals, fossils, geosciences, rockhounding, and the lapidary arts.

BGS hosts an annual Earth Science Day, offering free, hands-on activities for families and students to explore geology, fossils, and the region’s natural history. The event highlights careers in the earth sciences and provides a close-up look at geoscience equipment, demonstrations, and interactive displays from local businesses, vendors, and colleges.

Representing LaBella, Brian Bartron, MaryJo Bartron, Connor Michalowski, and Vanessa Baker attended the event with a drill rig to showcase the firm’s work and answer questions. Attendees learned about the education and skills required for careers in geology, engineering, and construction, helping expand awareness of these rewarding fields.

15th Annual Doug Phelps Bowling BCCR Tournament

Organization: Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester
Event Date: October 9, 2025
Event Location: Rochester, NY

Event Description: The Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester (BCCR) is a community-based grassroots organization dedicated to providing support, advocacy, research, and education. Its mission is to foster community among individuals impacted by breast or gynecologic cancer, empower informed decision-making, and advance regional research with the ultimate goal of eradicating breast cancer.

Held each October during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, this year marked the 15th annual Doug Phelps Bowling Tournament, an event committed to “striking out breast cancer” by raising funds to support BCCR’s work. Team LaBella—Lisa Beadle, Tejal Attarde, and Brian Sullivan—participated in the tournament, joining the Rochester community in supporting a cause that makes a meaningful difference for individuals and families across the region. This year’s event raised $38,000.

CANstruction Rochester

Organization: CANstruction Rochester
Event Date: October 11, 2025
Event Location: Strong Museum of Play – Rochester, NY

Event Description: CANstruction Rochester, an annual exhibit and design competition, brings AEC professionals together to create structures built entirely out of canned goods. After the exhibit closes, all canned goods and food items are donated to Foodlink, a Rochester-based nonprofit that distributes food to local food pantries, shelters, soup kitchens, daycare centers, and senior programs.

This year’s theme, Cosmic Conquest: Rise of the Cans, celebrated all things sci-fi—from movies and books to games and space exploration. Drawing inspiration from the Disney/Pixar movie “Wall-E,” LaBella’s Rochester team—Lindsay Davis, Neil Ficurilli, Nick Harkola, Walter Kaniecki, Kathleen Keady, Calvin Leung, Camille Cosmiano, Aika Aussicker, Sarah Langille, Kevin Ramirez Pacheco, Adam Cary, Abigail Jones, and Alyssa Deming—designed and built a replica of the robot Wall-E using approximately 4,000 cans of potatoes, corn, peas, green beans, and tomatoes.

For the 16th consecutive year, LaBella’s Rochester team made it to the winners circle, earning the Best Original Design Award for creatively applying engineering and architectural principles to overcome design challenges.

Tuthill Creek Cleanup

Organization: Save the Great South Bay
Event Date: October 18, 2025
Event Location: Patchogue, NY

Event Description: Save the Great South Bay is a nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring and protecting the Great South Bay on Long Island’s South Shore. Founded by community members concerned about the bay’s decline, the organization unites residents, environmentalists, scientists, and local partners to address pollution, habitat loss, and coastal resiliency.

Members of LaBella’s Patchogue office—Robert Ancona, Douglas Benyei, Tracey Evans, and Jaime Allen—joined a cleanup at the northern section of Tuthill Creek alongside Girl Scout Troop #1179 and approximately 40 community members, including Save the Great South Bay volunteers, Suffolk County Legislator Dominic Thorne, and a large group of Patchogue-Medford High School students.

Volunteers filled a 30-yard dumpster with trash collected from three problem areas surrounding the creek. Items removed included more than 30 shopping carts, tents, tires, pallets, and other debris.

Community Fall Cleanup Day

Organization: City of Mayfield Heights
Event Date: October 25, 2025
Event Location: Mayfield Heights, OH

Event Description: Each year, the City of Mayfield Heights hosts a Community Fall Cleanup Day, bringing together residents, families, community groups, and local businesses to help beautify the city. Volunteers assist with litter pickup at key locations, including major entry points to the city and the entrance to the corporate park where our local office is located.

LaBella volunteers—Matt Metyk, Todd Slaboden, Ben Barry, and Deana Sritalapat—joined roughly a dozen community members, including a local Girl Scout troop, to support this citywide effort.

Pitchin’ for Wishes Cornhole Tournament

Organization: Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central and Western North Carolina
Event Date: November 1, 2025
Event Location: Charlotte, NC

Event Description: In November, LaBella team members competed in the 17th annual Pitchin’ for Wishes Cornhole Tournament at Freedom Park to raise funds for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central and Western North Carolina. Organized by the Roby Family of Companies and Harris Teeter, the tournament brought together 149 teams from local businesses and the community for an NCAA bracket-style cornhole competition, along with food, drinks, music, local mascot appearances, and kids’ activities.

LaBella employees Bryan Fike, Rob Steen, Kelechi Nwaokorie, Dan Hill, Alejandro Rodriguez, and Gabe Antenucci participated, joined by Janel Daley and her family in support of our team. LaBella entered three teams—two advanced to the playoffs, with Bryan and Rob reaching the quarterfinals and knocking out the previous year’s tournament winner along the way. Together, our teams helped raise $2,500 for the foundation, contributing to overall fundraising that will support more than 30 wishes for children in the region.

Volunteer Day at Healthy Harvest Farm

Organization: Island Harvest
Event Date: November 11, 2025
Event Location: Healthy Harvest Farm – Brentwood, NY

Event Description: On Veterans Day, LaBella joined Island Harvest at their Healthy Harvest Farm in Brentwood to help close out the farm for the season. Volunteers assisted with harvesting remaining crops, preparing fields for winter, and performing general cleanup tasks around the farm. Nine employees participated, enjoying a day outdoors while supporting a meaningful cause.

Island Harvest is a leading hunger-relief organization with a mission to end hunger and reduce food waste on Long Island. Its Healthy Harvest Farm serves as both a hands-on learning model and a source of fresh, healthy produce for individuals and families impacted by food insecurity. The farm grows approximately 60 varieties of fruits, vegetables, and herbs, with a special focus on culturally diverse offerings. It yields more than 18,000 pounds of produce annually, which is distributed directly to a network of 300 food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters.

Quetzaltenango, Guatemala Global Village Build

Organization: Habitat for Humanity
Event Date: November 16-22, 2025
Event Location: Quetzaltenango, Guatemala

Event Description: Established in 1989, Habitat for Humanity’s Global Village program brings volunteers together from around the world to help build new homes and renovate existing homes to meet safety and livability standards. In November, Connor Feit joined a small team of eight U.S. volunteers in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, where Habitat for Humanity continues to address a housing deficit of more than 1.7 million homes.

This trip focused on assisting in new home construction. Over the course of the week, the group spent four mornings on site, contributing 12 hours of construction work alongside a local contractor. Their efforts assisted six families. The team poured concrete floors in the families’ kitchens and began constructing wood-fired stoves that vent outdoors, providing a safer and healthier alternative to dirt floors and open fires.

Connor shared that the trip offered a meaningful way to give back, experience a different culture, and build hands-on skills that support his development as an engineer.