Commercial Integrator February 2023 - 28

CONNECTED TO THE COMMUNITY Charitable Causes
Community
Connected to the
#AVTWEEPS
LEND A
HELPING HAND
Respected industry members expand on why, in
a tight-knit business like ours, it is important to
give back to the community. By Amala Reddie
" GIVING " AND " BACK " are two inconsequential
words by themselves. But, when
you put them together, they can become
a movement with the power to change people's
lives. Although cliché (and definitely
inspired by the film " Letters to Juliet " ), it
nonetheless rings true - especially for the
AV community. Each day, we hear inspiring
stories of how commercial AV businesses
come together and make meaningful contributions
that have a positive impact on various
communities. But how can #avtweeps
who want to make a difference begin their
journey of giving back? And why is it so
important to give back in the first place?
To answer those questions, Commercial
Integrator sits down with FSR's Jan Sandri;
Midwich's Ben Thompson; and Katie
Rogina from Spinitar, a Solutionz, Inc.,
company. Each of them expounds on the
need to give back to the community. They
also provide insight into how each of us,
in our own way, can do our part.
The Spirit of Giving Back
According to Sandri, president of FSR,
the reason for giving back is simple. " It's
important to give back to the community
28
and the industry because we owe them
everything, don't we? " she asks rhetorically.
Sandri expands on that line of thinking,
observing that all AV professionals live and
work among one another. By giving back,
everyone has a chance to build a better
community in which to work and live. " The
industry is our extended family, " Sandri
notes. " It's a community [that] we feel close
to, no matter where we all are. Ultimately,
helping those around us [also] helps us. "
Rogina, director of marketing with Spinitar,
echoes this sentiment, adding, " Any
time you're given the opportunity to help
someone in need, you should do just that. "
Touching on Spinitar's own efforts, Rogina
underscores that bringing any ray of hope
or understanding to those who are struggling
means a great deal to the organization.
She says, " In the case of Golf for Hope,
it's important for Spinitar to give back to
the community because, unfortunately, so
many lives are impacted by cancer, diabetes
and other life-threatening illnesses. "
The spirit of giving back does, indeed,
often center on helping those struggling,
and, in so doing, ensuring they have a
better world to live in. Thompson, engageCommercial
Integrator FEBRUARY 2023
ment lead with Midwich, emphasizes that
giving back is easy and incredibly rewarding,
but, critically, " It's about doing what is
right to help others. "
What it Means to Give Back
All three interviewees agree that giving
back does far more than just helping community
members and worthy causes; it also
helps discover the transformative effect that
their work has on people's lives - including
their own. The best part of giving back,
Rogina explains, is " seeing the outcome
of how one person, or one organization,
has the power to change someone's life
for the better, forever. " Sandri chimes in,
adding, " The satisfaction that we've made
a difference - whether large or small - is
priceless. And we're so fortunate that we've
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Commercial Integrator February 2023

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