Equal footing.

Tonight I had the privilege of attending the Boys & Girls Clubs/Equal Footing Foundation Awards Dinner. Now, I'm usually not keen on attending work events on a weekend, but this one was special. It was a reminder of why charitable work matters.

The dinner started with a girls' choral group that just blew the audience away. Interspersed in the speeches and awards were more feats of talent, including homage to one of my favorite musicals of all time, Grease.

While the event was a special time to honor corporations and adults who had so generously given of their time, talent, and treasure. the real magic was in witnessing young people on the cusp of their greatness. Introductions and invocations just seemed more meaningful when they were delivered by children who stumbled over their words or by children with accents from faraway places.

So while I had originally intended to attend this event in a networking capacity, I ended up being re-energized about my life's work in philanthropy. I was so energized that I ended up making an additional financial contribution to the Boys & Girls Clubs.

For more information on the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington, I encourage you to visit http://www.bgcgw.org/. Just watch your wallet when you do.