LaBella in the Community (LINC) – Spring 2026 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. It was a busy spring for LINC, 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.
Explore & More Spring Break Week
Organization: Explore & More – The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Children’s Museum
Event Date: April 6–10, 2026
Event Location: Buffalo, NY
Event Description: Explore & More’s Spring Break Week invited children and families to imagine a modern-day exposition inspired by Buffalo’s historic Pan-American Exposition. Centered around the theme “Building a Brighter Buffalo,” the week blended art, science, technology, engineering, and culture to envision the future of our communities.
LaBellans Steve Campana, Raymond Jacobson, Christina Paradowski, Andrea Sauers, Jill Sawyer, Becky Smith, Juan Romero Vazquez, and Adam Zebrowski volunteered throughout the museum, engaging children in hands-on activities and sharing how the firm’s work helps build stronger, more sustainable communities. Our volunteers staffed a LaBella table in the lobby and participated in interactive exhibits, creating meaningful connections with young learners and their families.
Through interactive learning and real-world examples, our team helped inspire the next generation to think creatively about Buffalo’s future and the role they can play in shaping it.
Charlotte CANstruction
Organizations: American Institute of Architects (AIA) Charlotte and CANstruction
Event Date: April 18, 2026
Event Location: Charlotte, NC
Event Description: Hosted annually by AIA Charlotte, Charlotte CANstruction is an annual exhibit and design competition that brings together AEC professionals to create colossal structures made entirely from canned goods while raising awareness of food insecurity in the Charlotte region. Following the event, all canned goods were donated to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina.
Inspired by this year’s agriculture theme, employees from LaBella’s Charlotte office created “Bee-yonce,” a larger-than-life bee sculpture built from 2,650 cans of food. The design celebrates the vital role bees play in pollinating the plants and crops that help feed communities around the world. By connecting the importance of agriculture with CANstruction’s mission to fight hunger, our team created a fun and recognizable display that encouraged visitors to think “bee-yond” themselves and recognize how even small contributions can have a meaningful impact.
Special thanks to Annzie Barfield, Siddhesh Borhade, Ron Clemmer and daughter, Janel Daley, Rebecca Gregg, Ida Lee, Daniela Martinez, Iv Shqevi, Honorine Umukesha, Jenny Villarreal, Nataliia Vozniak, Laura Ward, and Joe Whipple for their contributions to the build. Our team was also supported on-site by partners from Turner Construction and Bennett & Pless, who assisted with the construction of the sculpture.
2026 Water For People Charlotte 5K & Virtual 5K
Organization: Water for People
Event Date: April 25, 2026
Event Location: McAlpine Creek Cross Country Course – Charlotte, NC
Event Description: The 2026 Water For People Charlotte 5K & Virtual 5K brought together nearly 400 participants in support of Water for People’s mission to address the global water crisis. Working across Latin America, East Africa, and India, the nonprofit helps equip communities with lasting access to clean water and reliable sanitation services, creating sustainable solutions for generations to come.
Eight LaBella runners participated in this year’s event: Rebecca Gregg, Tumi Mabaso, Clair Noorhasan, Iv Shqevi, Robert Steen, and Jacob Boyd, along with Jacob’s parents. Our involvement extended beyond participation in the race. In addition to volunteering on-site, Ryan Douglas served as the event’s 5K coordinator, and Taylor Hurst designed the event T-shirts.
I Love My Park Day 2026
Organizations: Parks & Trails New York, New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Event Date: May 2, 2026
Event Location: Buffalo and White Plains, NY
Event Description: I Love My Park Day is an annual statewide event coordinated by Parks & Trails New York in partnership with the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. The day brings together thousands of volunteers to care for New York’s parks, historic sites, and public lands.
This year, LaBella volunteers participated in events in both Western New York and the Hudson Valley. In Buffalo, 20 volunteers—including LaBella’s Don Hoefler—supported cleanup efforts at the Richardson Olmsted Campus’ South Lawn by removing litter, clearing flower beds, and preparing trails and landscaping areas for the season. Meanwhile, Lydia Porras from our White Plains office joined fellow volunteers at Rockefeller State Park Preserve for I Love My Park Day activities.
Crandall Park Invasive Species Removal
Organizations: Crandall Park Beautification Committee and Warren County Soil & Water Conservation District
Event Date: May 15, 2026
Event Location: Glens Falls, NY
Event Description: The Crandall Park Beautification Committee, in partnership with the Warren County Soil & Water Conservation District, hosts invasive species removal days to help protect and preserve Crandall Park, the largest park in the City of Glens Falls, New York. By removing invasive plants and educating volunteers on their identification and management, these efforts help protect the park’s natural ecosystems.
On May 15, LaBellans Jen Denis, Shane Graham, Norabelle Greenberger, Vinkel Rasmussen, and Brittany Rodrigues joined representatives from the Crandall Park Beautification Committee, the Warren County Soil & Water Conservation District, and the Warren County Planning Department to remove invasive species from the park’s wooded areas.
Breakthrough T1D Walk, Capital Region, NY
Organization: Breakthrough T1D
Event Date: May 17, 2026
Event Location: Ballston Spa, NY
Event Description: Breakthrough T1D is the leading global Type 1 diabetes (T1D) research and advocacy organization, working to improve the lives of people with T1D while advancing research toward cures.
For this year’s Breakthrough T1D Walk, LaBella’s Branson Fields organized the fundraising team “Addison’s Sugar Pack” on behalf of his daughter, Addison, who was diagnosed with T1D in 2023 at just 4 years old. Through the efforts of family, friends, and other supporters, the team raised $4,742 to support T1D research, advocacy, and community programs.
For the Fields family, the walk represents an opportunity to support research aimed at improving quality of life for people with T1D and advancing toward a future where children like Addison can spend less time managing their condition and more time simply being kids.
United Way Day of Caring
Organization: United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes
Event Date: May 21, 2026
Event Location: Rochester, NY
Event Description: The United Way’s Day of Caring is the largest community-wide volunteer event across the Finger Lakes region, serving Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Wayne, and Wyoming counties. The event gives volunteers the opportunity to spend time with co-workers, friends, and family while supporting local nonprofit organizations.
For this year’s Day of Caring, 19 LaBellans volunteered at The Hochstein School, a school of music and dance for all ages, backgrounds, and abilities in Rochester, New York. The team spent the day landscaping, planting, weeding, and mulching outside, as well as cleaning and polishing the ornate woodwork and seating in the school’s concert hall. Volunteers also toured the facility and enjoyed a piano performance during lunch.
Thank you to Douglas Allen, Aika Aussicker, Saee Bodkhe, Barbara Burke, John Chajka, Noelle Conderman, Camille Cosmiano, Nicholas Giallella, CJ Jean, Calvin Leung, Joe Livecchi, Rachel Mikolajczyk, Kaitlyn Pohler, Chad Scorse, Christopher Sova, Lucas Tata, Christopher Ulics, Seth Warren, and Jessica Woughter for representing LaBella and giving back to the Rochester community through this year’s Day of Caring event.
Additional Ways We Supported Our Communities
- March 1–31 | Sparrow’s Nest and Dutchess Outreach – Caring & Sharing Fundraiser | Poughkeepsie, NY
- March 8 | Family Promise of Greater Rochester – Strike Out Homelessness Bowl-a-Thon | Rochester, NY
- March 15–April 15 | Homes for Orphaned Pets Exist (H.O.P.E.) – Give H.O.P.E. Fundraiser | Ballston Spa, NY
- March 30–April 15 | Mental Health America of Dutchess County – Annual Anemone Sale | Poughkeepsie, NY
- April 12 | Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Capital Region, NY – Bowl for Kids’ Sake Annual Fundraiser | Albany, NY
- April 14 | Greek Peak Adaptive Snowsports (GPAS) – 8th Annual GPAS Fundraiser | Syracuse, NY
- April 19 | Hop on Home – Bowling for Bunnies | Ballston Spa, NY
- April 23 | City of Charlotte-Mecklenburg County – Adopt-a-Stream Cleanup | Charlotte, NC
- April 27 | Capital Region CANstruction | Albany, NY
- Click here for a recap of our participation in this competition.
- May 2 | City of Mayfield Heights – Spring Community Cleanup Day | Cleveland, OH
- May 9 | Rochester Renegades Rugby Club – Megan Trutt’s 3rd Annual Memorial Tournament | Rochester, NY
- May 17 | Knights-Kaderli Memorial Fund – Annual David R. Millis Memorial Golf Tournament | Rochester, NY
- May 30 | Drink Local Drink Tap – 4 Miles 4 Water Walk/Run | Cleveland, OH (in-person); Ballston Spa & Glens Falls, NY (virtual)
Scroll down to view photos from these events!
Image Gallery
