NAMIC Raises $476,000 ForWTC Relief Funds

The National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies will donate $476,000 in fees from its cancelled international convention towards relief efforts for the victims and their families of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

NAMIC, headquartered in Indianapolis, indicated that it will donate $119,000 each to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, the Twin Towers Fund, The New York Times 9/11 Neediest Fund and the Salvation Army relief efforts.

“The mutual insurance industry in America was founded by Benjamin Franklin in 1752,” noted James A. Blum, NAMIC chairman and president of Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company of Fort Wayne, Ind.

“Mutual, to us, means working together,” he continued. “This tragedy strikes at the very heart of all our members and, on the eve of the 250th anniversary of mutual insurance in America, we wanted to make a contribution to the victims and survivors of the Sept. 11 attacks.”

NAMIC President Larry Forrester said that his group represents more than 1,200 member insurance companies, “with the mission of restoring people's property and livelihoods after they have suffered a loss. Our country suffered a terrible loss on Sept. 11, and we hope these funds contributed by our member companies help victims' families and relief agencies working at the disaster sites.”

Mr. Forrester indicated that since 1895, NAMIC has suspended its annual convention only twice, and that was during World War II.

“We hope our contribution will join with others to provide comfort and support to the victims' families, relief workers and their communities,” he said.

According to Mr. Forrester, member companies “overwhelmingly” supported the NAMIC board's suggestion that the group donate registration, exhibitor and sponsor fees from the 106th Convention to relief efforts. “In addition, more than 100 NAMIC member companies and staff not registered for the convention stepped forward to contribute toward the relief efforts,” he said.

Reproduced from National Underwriter Property & Casualty/Risk & Benefits Management Edition, October 22, 2001. Copyright 2001 by The National Underwriter Company in the serial publication. All rights reserved.Copyright in this article as an independent work may be held by the author.

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NAMIC Raises $476,000 For WTC Relief Funds

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