Canceled Event Leads to Charitable Contribution

The American Jewish Committee was looking forward to another event at the Hilton Short Hills last Wednesday night, but the snow storm changed those plans.

The event was being held to honor Douglas S. Eakeley, partner at the law firm Lowenstein Sandler, located in Roseland, with the AJC Metro New Jersey's 2010 Judge Learned Hand Award. But the snow forced the event to be canceled.

"We are extremely disappointed that we were forced to cancel our dinner because of the blizzard," John Rosen, director of development of the AJC, said in a press release. "We were very much looking forward to a memorable evening at the Hilton Short Hills."
 
The hotel's executive chef Richard Kennedy had already received all of the food ordered for the event and was ready to prepare dinner for the anticipated 200 guests.  At Hilton's suggestion, rather than letting the food go to waste, the American Jewish Committee and Lowenstein Sandler jointly decided to donate the food to a local charity.

The donation was made in the name of Douglas S. Eakeley, the scheduled honoree of the event, to People Helping People located in Newark.  
 
"We would like to take the opportunity to acknowledge the generous contribution of food the American Jewish Committee and Lowenstein Sandler made to our organization," said Harold Davis, Director of the PHP Group, Inc., in a press release. "It would be impossible for us to continue to provide for the members of this community if it were not for such outstanding citizens and organizations."

The staff of the Hilton Short Hills assisted representatives of the PHP Group, Inc. in loading the food prior to the arrival of the storm Tuesday evening.

"The Hilton Short Hills is happy that we were able to connect the American Jewish Committee, Lowenstein Sandler and the PHP Group, Inc.," said Paul Holden, director of sales & marketing at the Hilton Short Hills in a press release.  "We were all able to turn a disappointing situation, based on the event's cancellation due to the weather, into a positive contribution to the local community."