Evan Grimm: Spreading the word about organ donation

When Evan Grimm set out on an adventure to pursue his interest in film, little did he know that he would find an even grander mission for his life: spreading the word about the importance of registering as a potential organ donor.

Evan, the owner of Bay National Title Company in Clearwater, Fla., has long been interested in film and in 2010, came across information about a Boulder, Colo.,-based film school called Outside Adventure Film School.

“This is a really neat program that involves basically going with a team on an adventure and they work with you to make an adventure film,” Evan explained. “I was able to take some time off last year so I spent some time in Africa,  And was fortunate to be a part of an adventure that not only involved climbing Mt. Kenya, a challenging and worthy goal in its own right, but I was able to create a film about some amazing people, and be a part of something that had a higher purpose.”

John Voso: Honoring today’s heroes

There are a thousand ways to support a local community through volunteerism or donations, and through the course of a lifetime, we may find ourselves drawn to many different charities and causes. But though the field of possibilities is large, the result is often the same for nearly every volunteer: they get back so much more than they give.

John Voso, Jr., senior vice-president, agency relations manager, Attorneys’ Title Division at Old Republic Title Insurance Co., would be quick to tell you that he has gotten more than he bargained for when he set out to write a book on cancer survivors as a means of raising funds for a charity very dear to his heart.

Voso lost his 4-year-old nephew, Richie White, to brain cancer in 1991. Richie’s family established The Richie White Pediatric Family Fund shortly after their son’s death with the simple goal of “Making Children Smile.” Voso has been an active participant in the activities of the charity since that time, dressing up as various characters at the 18 Christmas parties held for the children at the hospital, helping Santa Claus pass out gifts, and recording the events on camera for the families, as well as attending 14 summer picnics since the mid-1990s.