LaBella in the Community (LINC) – Spring 2025 Roundup
LaBella in the Community (LINC) is our employee-led, grassroots, committee-based service program that organizes volunteer opportunities to build and advance community partnerships. LINC was very busy this spring, and we’d like to take a moment to highlight some of the activities the group planned and coordinated throughout the local communities where we live and work.
More details about the organizations that LINC partnered with can be found by clicking the links below. To learn more about what LINC has been up to, keep scrolling!
Bowling for Bunnies
Organization: Hop on Home Rabbit Sanctuary
Event Date: March 16, 2025
Event Location: Saratoga Springs, NY
Event Description: LINC members from our Ballston Spa office—Jutta Farrell-Gerasia, Abigail Ryder, Amanda Hens, and Shenequa Perry—had a great time bowling at the Bowling for Bunnies event, organized by Hop on Home Rabbit Sanctuary. Together, they raised over $400 to support this volunteer-run, not-for-profit organization dedicated to rabbit education, care, and adoptions.
GRASP Kitten Fostering/Donation Drive
Organization: Greece Residents Assisting Stray Pets (GRASP)
Event Date: March 10–April 4, 2025
Event Location: Rochester, NY
Event Description: From March 10th to April 4th, LINC collected both monetary donations and pet supplies for our “LaBella Litter,” cared for by LaBella’s Catherine Thompson, and other pets in GRASP’s care. Once the kittens were old enough, Catherine invited LaBellans to help socialize with them before they went up for adoption.
Mountain Rottie Rescue Supply Drive
Organization: Mountain Rottie Rescue of NY
Event Date: April 1–30, 2025
Event Location: Ballston Spa, NY
Event Description: LaBellans in the Ballston Spa office collected $100 in monetary donations and various toys and treats for the Mountain Rottie Rescue, a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to rehoming homeless dogs, including Rottweilers and all other breeds that come from kill shelters across the United States.
ACE Mentor Program of Rochester Graduation
Organization: ACE Mentor Program of Rochester
Event Date: April 4, 2025
Event Location: Rochester, NY
Event Description: Rochester’s annual ACE Mentor Program graduation celebrated students’ achievements over the past year. Students presented their final projects, and scholarships were awarded to support their continued education. LaBella’s seven mentors—Camille Cosmiano, Calvin Leung, Aika Aussicker, Katie Burns, Reed Brodsky, Staci Tubiolo, and Barbara Burke—along with mentors from other area A/E/C firms were also recognized for their contributions and time.
This year’s program had 55 graduates with $40,000 in scholarships awarded.
Potsdam Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Clean-Up Day
Organization: Potsdam Chamber of Commerce
Event Date: April 12, 2025
Event Location: Potsdam, NY
Event Description: More than 150 volunteers, including LaBellans Ana Thomas, Amanda Wright, Anneke Chudzinski, Corey Mousaw, John Clark, William LaPlant, and their families, came together for the Potsdam Chamber of Commerce’s annual Community Clean-Up Day. Volunteers raked leaves and sticks, picked up litter, and planted trees, helping to ensure the community’s public spaces look their best for both residents and visitors. Participants included the Rotary Club of Potsdam, the Potsdam High School baseball team, several Clarkson University athletic teams, a Potsdam sorority, the Potsdam Elks, SUNY Potsdam’s Psychology Club, and local businesses such as LaBella Associates and Casella Waste Systems.
Canstruction Charlotte
Organization: CANstruction Charlotte
Event Date: April 12, 2025
Event Location: Charlotte, NC
Event Description: LaBellans Riya Patel, Thien Nguyen, Janel Daley, Natalia Vozniak, Ida Lee, Honorine Umukesha, Joe Whipple, Alejandro Rodriguez, and Robert Steen from our Charlotte office won the Best Meal Award at the 2025 CANstruction Charlotte competition and donated over 3,000 canned food items to Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina!
LaBella’s design, titled “Mascot Munch,” featured five 10-foot-tall PEZ dispensers representing each of Charlotte’s professional sports team mascots.
RESTORE SAS Donation Drive
Organization: RESTORE SAS
Event Date: April 14–May 9, 2025
Event Location: Rochester, NY
Event Description: LINC collected both monetary donations and supplies to support RESTORE SAS, a program of Planned Parenthood that provides crisis intervention and support to survivors of SA and their loved ones.
Walk MS – Syracuse
Organization: National Multiple Sclerosis Society
Event Date: April 27, 2025
Event Location: Syracuse, NY
Event Description: LaBella’s team raised more than $1,600 to support Walk MS Syracuse. Walk MS is one of the nation’s premier fundraising events across the U.S. for raising awareness, creating community, and developing funds for researching new treatments, working towards a cure, and providing regenerative therapies.
2025 Rally for 716 Squash
Organization: 716 Squash
Event Date: April 29, 2025
Event Location: Buffalo, NY
Event Description: LaBella Associates sponsored the 2025 Rally for 716 Squash, an event created to raise funds for the 716 Squash nonprofit program’s after-school and summer schedules. This year’s goal was to raise $200,000—and the event surpassed it by $9,000!
716 Squash empowers youth in Buffalo through education, mentoring, health, and wellness to build transformational relationships within our community. Former Bills player Marcell Dareus, who was also a sponsor of the event, met with kids and tried his hand at squash for the first time, expressing his desire to give back to the Queen City.
Wolf Mountain Volunteer Day
Organization: The Wolf Mountain Nature Center
Event Date: May 10, 2025
Event Location: Smyrna, NY
Event Description: With the expected arrival of red fox kits and wolf pups, Wolf Mountain Nature Center needed assistance completing several large projects around the facility. During the volunteer event, Shenequa Perry, Jonathan Derworiz, and Dan Mabie helped with constructing new habitats, maintaining existing infrastructure, and completing various other tasks to help prepare the center for its new residents.
United Way Day of Caring 2025
Organization: United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes
Event Date: May 15, 2025
Event Location: Branchport, NY
Event Description: Each year, the United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes hosts the Day of Caring, a region-wide effort to give back to the community through volunteer efforts. These can include outdoor maintenance and beautification and indoor repairs and cleaning for local organizations and nonprofits.
This year, LaBella volunteered at Camp Good Days, which strives to improve the quality of life for families affected by cancer or sickle cell anemia through residential camping programs and year-round recreational and support activities. LaBella’s team of volunteers helped with the cleanup of the residential camp located on the shores of Keuka Lake in Branchport, New York.
River Park Clean Up
Organization: RiverLink
Event Date: May 16, 2025
Event Location: Asheville, NC
Event Description: LaBellans from our Asheville office spent the day assisting with cleanup on the French Broad River and the surrounding wetlands with RiverLink, an organization that is dedicated to the health of the French Broad River watershed in the Asheville region.
No Greater Love Rescue Donation Drive
Organization: No Greater Love Rescue & Mohawk Hudson Humane Society
Event Date: April 23–May 20, 2025
Event Location: Albany, NY
Event Description: From mid-April to the end of May, LaBellans in the Capital Region contributed to a donation drive benefitting No Greater Love Rescue and the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society animal rescues. At the conclusion of the event, more than $300 and 35 physical items were donated to the rescue organizations.
12th Annual 4 Miles 4 Water
Organization: Drink Local Drink Tap
Event Date: May 31, 2025
Event Location: Cleveland, OH
Event Description: Drink Local Drink Tap strives to improve water equity through projects, programming, and partnerships. The annual run distance of the 4 Miles 4 Water event is intentional—it’s the global average distance someone walks to collect water every day in rural Uganda.
Each race registration brings safe drinking water to one person for life! This unique event allows participants both locally and across the country. LaBella had nine participants both in person and virtually this year! In-person runners in Cleveland included Tareq Masri, Todd Slaboden, Ben Barry, and Carl Frey. Virtual participants spanned across the East Coast; Genevieve Anderson participated from North Carolina, and Vinkel Rasmussen, Amanda Hens, Sierra Vaverchak, and Deb Gelinas joined in from New York.
Rochester Childfirst Network – Strawberry Festival
Organization: Rochester Childfirst Network
Event Date: June 6, 2025
Event Location: Rochester, NY
Event Description: As a nonprofit organization, Rochester Childfirst Network serves children from 6 weeks to 12 years old by providing high-quality early childhood education, inclusive services, and support for families across Rochester. LaBella was proud to support volunteer Lynanne Wehner and donate to the Strawberry Festival, which brings joy to the community and helps raise critical funds to sustain Rochester Childfirst Network ’s work.
United Way Day of Action
Organization: United Way of the Southern Tier
Event Date: June 6, 2025
Event Location: Elmira, NY
Event Description: LaBellans Skylar Dengler, Jacob Goble, Randy Heard, Linda Manos, and Gary King volunteered at the local Meals on Wheels headquarters in Elmira to finish painting the building where recent construction had taken place. Meals on Wheels of Chemung County has been serving the community for over 50 years, and the services and meals they provide are a vital resource for many.
MetroHealth Resiliency Run
Organization: MetroHealth
Event Date: June 7, 2025
Event Location: Cleveland, OH
Event Description: The Resiliency Run a is a 5K run through the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo that raises funds for MetroHealth to support trauma and burn survivors receiving critical care. The event honors the strength and resilience of burn survivors and their loved ones.
LaBellans Tareq Masri, Todd Slaboden, Carl Frey, and their families participated in the race, and LaBella was proud to sponsor the event.
World Environment Weekend
Organization: Explore & More
Event Date: June 7-8, 2025
Event Location: Buffalo, NY
Event Description: LaBellans Rebecca Smith, Juan Romero Vazquez, Jill Sawyer, Deborah Urban-Hector, Donald Hoefler, David Stutz, and Andrea Sauers volunteered at World Environment Weekend at Explore & More—The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Children’s Museum on June 7–8. Families enjoyed eco-themed activities and educational exhibits, many of which were supported by our team. From helping kids plant sunflowers and marigolds to sparking conversations about how we protect our environment, LaBella was at the heart of the fun.
First Saturday Community Supper
Organization: First Presbyterian Church of Glens Falls
Event Date: June 7, 2025
Event Location: Glens Falls, NY
Event Description: LaBella Associates sponsored the First Saturday Community Supper hosted by the First Presbyterian Church of Glens Falls. Our Glens Falls team volunteered to prepare and serve a free hot meal on the first Saturday in June, supporting an effort that typically feeds around 50 community members.
2025 Youth Leadership Program
Organization: The Chamber Foundation
Event Date: Spring 2025
Event Location: Poughkeepsie, NY
Event Description: Earlier this year, LaBella’s Poughkeepsie, New York office hosted Amber and Ella, local high school students interested in architecture and engineering, as part of the Youth Leadership Program hosted by The Chamber Foundation in Dutchess County, New York. This leadership development program offers students the opportunity to have substantive interaction with their peers, community-based service organizations, higher education institutions, and professionals from local industries, cultivating their academic, social, and life skills.
For five weeks, Senior Architectural Designer, Joe Rodriguez, and Civil Engineer, Gabriel Monck-Zweck, EIT, spent time teaching the students about architecture and civil engineering.
