Although the French Quarter and downtown areas of New Orleans were largely spared the full fury of Hurricane Katrina, many areas of the city are still too devastated for residents to return--with the Lakeview District and Ninth Ward among the areas still in need of help.

For this reason, the Risk and Insurance Management Society, in partnership with the Beacon of Hope Resource Center, is asking attendees at their annual conference this spring to help paint homes, clear yards of overgrown weeds, and remove dead shrubbery and tree branches.

RIMS President Mike Liebowitz told National Underwriter that the idea came when he was in New Orleans planning the conference. After touring the city's devastation, he said the idea came for the risk management community to do its part to help rebuild the city.

"We'll be doing manual labor, so our hands will be dirty," he said. "We'll be painting and cleaning up yards and surrounding areas."

Mr. Liebowitz, now director of risk management and insurance for New York University, noted that the RIMS board of directors and former presidents, who will meet Sunday morning, April 29, at the conference, have been asked "to not wear their suits--to wear their work clothes and get on the bus with us, and show the community that RIMS leadership on a national and local level are out there helping this community to bounce back from what has been a devastation."

RIMS will transport 100 attendees to Lakeview to help in the cleanup so that residents there can have a speedier return to their homes. A light breakfast and boxed lunch will be provided.

"So take off your risk manager hat for a few hours, join your peers and take part in this community initiative," RIMS said in a statement. "You only need to bring a pair of long pants (jeans are perfect), a long-sleeve shirt and closed-toe shoes or boots. RIMS and the Beacon of Hope Resource Center will provide the rest."

For more information about the RIMS 2007 Community Service Day and the Beacon of Hope, visit www.RIMS.org/CommunityService.

RIMS also scheduled a fundraising event near the end of the annual conference for May 2 at 8:00 p.m., featuring award-winning comedian and television personality Dennis Miller. The event will take place in a hall at the convention center, which seats 4,000. It is free to attendees, who will reserve seats as they register.

"We're looking to raise enough to purchase a fire truck for the city of New Orleans," Mr. Liebowitz said. "We're asking the corporate sponsors who support our conference to provide sponsorship for this."

Special Reports /

RIMS Hosts New Orleans Volunteer Day

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