ICSC Foundation Presents the 2016 U.S. Community Support Awards at RECon

ICSC Foundation Presents the 2016 U.S. Community Support Awards at RECon

Oregon’s Heritage Mall Wins Philanthropic Retail Real Estate Competition

LAS VEGAS, May 23, 2016 – The International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) Foundation has presented the 2016 U.S. Community Support Award to four regional recipients, spotlighting the Heritage Mall, located in Albany, Ore., as both the U.S. Western Region and Overall U.S. Community Support Award Winner for their philanthropic “Altrusa of Albany KidzShop” event that benefitted children in need and their families. The ICSC Foundation presented the awards during a ceremony at RECon, the premier retail real estate conference in Las Vegas. 

Shopping centers play an integral role to the social, civic and economic vibrancy to the communities they serve. Unlike any other “place,” they are a significant job creator, driver of GDP and critical revenue source for the communities they serve through the generation of sales taxes and the payment of property taxes that fund important municipal services like firefighters, police officers, school services, and infrastructure like roadways and parks.

The ICSC Foundation’s Community Support Awards highlight the social aspect of the industry, showcasing the country’s premier examples of corporate social responsibility and community outreach conducted by shopping centers, their management companies, and developers. The following properties won the U.S. Community Support Award for their respective region.

Western Region and Overall U.S. Community Support Award Winner

“Altrusa of Albany KidzShop at Heritage Mall”

Vintage Real Estate, LLC

Heritage Mall

Altrusa Club of Albany partnered with Heritage Mall, a Vintage Real Estate property located in Albany, Ore., to host the award-winning Annual KidzShop event, which effectively engaged the local community to support children in need and their families. The impactful KidzShop event allowed 315 low-income children from neighboring communities to go back-to-school shopping and served as a key highlight of a yearlong charitable campaign.

Several fundraisers were organized throughout the year to solicit donations, which were augmented by grants to raise a total of $32,000. The program sustained continued support from the community accumulating more than 2,000 volunteer hours in the form of monthly meetings, a major dining event and auction donned “Little Italy” that attracted 450 community members, and planning the significant KidzShop event.