The law firm of O’Melveny & Myers LLP has been helping clients and the community for more than a century. The staff knows the importance of giving back to the communities where they work and live. One way the company gives back is by sponsoring the annual Hope for Firefighters event, an afternoon fundraiser featuring more than 25 food booths run by firefighters.
Lisa D’Onofrio, Facilities Manager at O’Melveny & Myers, sees the event as a unique way to support the charity. She said, “It creates awareness for the cause in a joyful setting. It’s rare to have such a great event to participate in on the lunch hour. Literally and figuratively, it’s a breath of fresh air!”
The people at O’Melveny & Myers appreciate what firefighters do and the danger in which they place themselves. That’s why D’Onofro enjoys the Hope event. She said, “I often think about the intense wild fires where the temperature is 1000 degrees plus and I say to myself, ‘Who does that?’ and it’s the same person that’s serving us our two tacos, beans, rice and guacamole.”
In fact, she recalled that exact scenario one year. The set-up for the event took a bit longer than usual because some of the firefighters were helping with the wild fires that were consuming California. “It just brought to mind the real meaning of the event and why it exists,” she said.
The firm’s Managing Partner Carla Christofferson makes sure O’Melveny & Myers’ continues its annual sponsorship of the Hope for Firefighters event, just one of the ways in which the partners and staff give to the community. Through O’Melveny’s scholarship programs, pro bono services, Green Office Initiative, and individual service, the staff aims to honor their roots and build for the future. For more information, visit omm.com.
By David Vienna