ALEXANDRIA, Virginia, May 7, 2018–Trusted Choice® has awarded the annual Dan Fulwider Award for Community Involvement to Alliance Financial & Insurance in Lowell, Michigan.
In recognition of Fulwider's community involvement, Trusted Choice established an annual $2,500 award for a selected agency to donate to a charity of its choice. This year, the money will go to Kids' Food Basket, an organization in Grand Rapids, Michigan that provides meals to children in need.
"When Phaelesha Kyes said in her application, 'It's amazing how hard it is to focus in school when food is the only thing on your mind,' she was talking about why she is a big supporter of Kids' Food Basket," Graham said when presenting the award. “But she was also referencing something much deeper: her own experience as a child."
When Kyes was young, Kids' Food Basket provided a sack supper every day for her and her sisters so that they didn't have to go to bed hungry. Kyes and her sisters were later adopted by Ryan Kyes, the owner of Alliance Financial & Insurance. Today, she works side by side with her father—and the company provides both monetary and volunteer support for Kids' Food Basket.
Safeco Insurance, a Trusted Choice company partner, encouraged Alliance to put forth an application for the award. “We are very proud of the dedicated staff at Alliance Insurance and Financial for all they do in their local community," says Tyler Asher, president of Safeco Insurance. “This award is well deserved."
Dan Fulwider was a beloved member of the Big “I" family, a huge proponent of Trusted Choice® and served as the Independent Insurance Agents of Iowa (IIAI) government affairs coordinator and membership liaison at the time of his passing. His family, IIAI and Trusted Choice® established this award in his memory. The award was presented during the recent Big “I" Legislative Conference in Washington D.C.
“Trusted Choice independent insurance agents are doing incredible things in their local communities every day," says Kevin Brandt, Trusted Choice® executive director. “We are proud to commemorate Dan's commitment to service to others with this award and we are happy to recognize Alliance Insurance & Financial as this year's award recipient."
Trusted Choice® educates consumers about the benefits of using independent agents and brokers for their insurance needs: choice of companies, customized policies and advocacy support. The brand is the consumer marketing identity for more than 26,000 independent insurance agencies and brokerage firms and 62 leading insurance companies.
The Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA or the Big “I") was founded in 1896 and is the nation's oldest and largest national association of independent insurance agents and brokers, representing a network of approximately a quarter of a million agents, brokers and their employees nationally. Its members are businesses that offer customers a choice of policies from a variety of insurance companies. Independent agents and brokers offer all lines of insurance—property, casualty, life and health—as well as employee benefit plans and retirement products.
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