Philadelphia Fund Alliance Raises Over $80,000 for Take A Breather Foundation


From left: Bruce G. Leto, Partner and Investment Management Group Co-Chair, Stradley Ronon; Matthew McCloskey, President, Take A Breather Foundation; Sean Graber, Partner, Morgan Lewis; and John Alshefski, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, SEI Investments Company.

More than 200 Philadelphia-area asset management professionals gathered on Nov. 1 at The Logan Philadelphia to raise money for the Take A Breather Foundation and to celebrate Philadelphia’s deep roots and influence in national financial markets and services, including traditional mutual funds and alternative asset vehicles. Radio host, television presenter, newspaper columnist, author and lawyer Michael A. Smerconish was the event’s keynote speaker.

The event raised more than $80,000 for the Take A Breather Foundation, a nonprofit organization that fulfills wishes for those children and adults living with cystic fibrosis (CF). Founded in 2012, Take A Breather Foundation has been an outgrowth of the Narberth CF Run which has been fulfilling wishes since 1996, when the foundation granted its first wish and sent a child to Disney World.

Formed in 2016, PFA was created to hold an annual fundraiser to benefit a charity in the greater Philadelphia area and to highlight the region’s impact on the registered funds, asset management and alternatives space. Last year’s PFA gala raised more than $70,000 for Cradles to Crayons, a nonprofit organization that provides children living in homeless or low-income situations with the basic essential items they need to thrive.

Sponsors for 2018 included Aberdeen Standard InvestmentsACA Compliance GroupBBDBroadridge Financial Solutions, Inc.Bryn Mawr Trust Wealth ManagementDeloitteDLA PiperDrinker BiddleEYFS InvestmentsGlenmede Investment Management LPKPMGMacquarie Investment ManagementMorgan LewisPepper HamiltonPwCSEI Investments CompanyStradley Ronon and Tait Weller. The event’s printing sponsor was Donnelley Financial Solutions, the floral sponsor was Kremp Florist and the music sponsor was University of the Arts.

Featured Charity

Take A Breather Foundation

The Take A Breather Foundation fulfills wishes for those children and adults living with cystic fibrosis (CF). Founded in 2012, as a 501(c)(3) organization, the foundation has been an outgrowth of the Narberth CF Run which has been fulfilling wishes since 1996, when we granted our first wish and sent a child to Disney World.

Cystic Fibrosis is a disease that does not take a breather – every single day our sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers spend hours clearing their lungs and taking more medicine than most can imagine, just to breathe and stay alive. Others spend too much of their childhood in the hospital fighting off life threatening lung infections with IV antiobiotics; infections that slowly destroy their lungs and other organs. The scientific community is closer to a cure now, than it’s ever been before thanks to the amazing efforts of the CF Foundation.

However, everyday thousands of children and young adults still fight just to breathe. As an organization, our board members and volunteers each bring different life stories involving Cystic Fibrosis, but our mission is the same: to give these families the opportunity to “take a breather” from Cystic Fibrosis, and offer them a moment in their lives to focus on creating magical memories and lasting smiles.