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BMOBMO’s golf team puts its talent to work for autism

Donica Friedman’s team loves to sell, and in September, there’s not a nicer place to do it than on a golf course. But instead of talking up Business Banking Solutions, the 21 BMO staffers on the green and in the clubhouse are putting their skills to use selling raffle tickets. 

Friedman, an Area Manager in the commercial banking area, has been involved with the Annual Butterfly Classic golf tournament since BMO took the title sponsorship in 2002 when her then Senior Vice President asked her if she would represent the District at the event.

Overwhelmed by Generosity
“I didn’t know anybody from Geneva at the time, but after helping out, I was overwhelmed by the generosity and the cause we were supporting,” she says.

The next year, when Geneva came calling, she upped her commitment to the event by promising to bring an entire team of volunteers. Since then, she has come to be relied upon to supply the majority of the bodies needed to run the day-long event.

Her team starts the day early greeting and registering all the 144 golfers who participate in the ‘shotgun’ style tournament and then working throughout the day on the course and off the course, preparing for the silent auction and live auction.

A Belief in Volunteerism
While Friedman uses the event in part as a team-building exercise, she says BMO recognizes that volunteering is very important to its staff and strongly supports the tradition of volunteerism amongst its employees.

“Employees value giving back and it’s important to them as individuals to participate in their community,” she says, adding that each of her volunteers knows someone affected by autism.

“Although we’re not working directly with children, we get a lot of satisfaction knowing that we can take our talents and we can turn it into funding for a special program, and that it is going to make a difference in someone’s life.”
 
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