Gift for Life Honoring Hammons, Kacic, Brandwise

September 27, 2011  by in UnCategorized   

By Home Furnishings Business in Accessories on September 28, 2011

Gift for Life will honor Jenny Hammons, George Kacic, and Brandwise founders Todd and Jannetta Litzman at its 20th Annual Party for Life, Jan. in New York City.

Gift for Life is the gift, stationery and home decor industries' primary charitable organization.

Jenny Hammons will receive the Bert Tonkin Gift of Giving Award, which recognizes sustained philanthropic endeavors benefitting the industry. The Award is named for industry benefactor Bert Tonkin, president of Western Exhibitors. Hammons is a gift industry veteran and owner of Jenny Hammons/Company, which consists of West Coast-based sales organizations servicing the gift and home-decor markets in Northern California and the U.S. Pacific Northwest. She is a former chair of the board of Gift for Life.

George Kacic will receive the Chuck Yancy Lifetime Achievement Award, presented to a special recipient who has had an abiding impact on the industry through leadership and generosity. Kacic's has a 35-year career in the gift and home-decor industry. Currently, he serves as Vice president of GANZ USA. Over the past nineteen years, he has helped make GANZ one of the top "go-to" gift companies in the world. Kacic is serving as the Advisory Board Chairman for AmericasMart; he is a member of the Gift for Life Board; he served six years on the Gift & Home Trade Association's Board, acting as president, chairman emeritus and, most recently, an Icon Honors founding partner; and he is the current co-chair for the GHTA Annual Conference.

Brandwise and its founders Todd and Jannetta Litzman will receive the Trailblazer Award, which recognizes an industry pioneer for outstanding achievement and significant contributions, as well as creative products and ideas with lasting impact. For more than 14 years, Brandwise has driven the innovation of technology in the gift and home industry by listening to its needs and consistently creating and providing solutions and tools to help suppliers and sales reps sell more, increase efficiencies and, in effect, enhancing the retailer's buying experience. The company continues to provide new technology to help automate each step in the sales channel€”from showroom floor to the road, from back office functions to executive business intelligence and online.

"Strong leadership, decades of hard work, and passionate support for the industry are the shared values of our honorees," said Leslie Nathan-Street, chair of the Gift for Life board. "We recognize their tireless energy and their generosity."

Gift for Life's 20th Annual Party for Life, benefiting DIFFA, is set for Jan. 29, at The Boathouse at Central Park. Individual tickets are $125, and sponsorships ranging from $500 through $25,000 are available. For details, contact Steven Williams by e-mail or at 212.727.3100.