BUILDINGS ARE ABOUT much more than just leasing, capital improvements and business. That's why tenants and management at several W&H buildings have been busy helping their neighbors and the city of New York. Recent initiatives include programs to promote health, reduce hunger and support the arts.
501 Seventh Avenue, 250 West 57th Street 
and the Lincoln Building recently held blood drives that attracted wide participation from tenants. Additional drives will take place at these buildings in the fall, under the auspices of the New York Blood Service's "Skyscrapers for Life" program. In recognition of W&H's participation in the program, Robert Merck, the real estate chair of the New York Blood Service's 2004 campaign, wrote in his letter of thanks to W&H: "We applaud your effort to support the ÔSkyscrapers for Life' program and thank you for your contributions to this most worthwhile effort. É I thank you for taking such a distinguished role in this vital community program."
Blood drives are not the only kind of drives taking place at W&H buildings. 250 West 57th Street and 501 Seventh Avenue recently coordinated food drives sponsored by City Harvest's Feed the Kids campaign. City Harvest, which is the world's oldest (and New York's only) food rescue program, seeks to help hungry inhabitants; the sad news is that, according to City Harvest, one in every four children in New York doesn't get enough to eat. The purpose of the Feed the Kids campaign is to address this problem. W&H is proud that two of its buildings have participated in the program, and plans to expand its involvement in upcoming drives.
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Musicians perform during the Flatiron Festival of Music in Madison Square Park. The concerts are sponsored by the 23rd Street Association, of which the International Toy Center is a member.
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The focus of the International Toy Center, meanwhile, isn't just fun and games. Through its membership in the 23rd Street Association, the Center sponsors the Flatiron Festival of Music. Monthly festival concerts take place in Madison Square Park from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. The first concert, "Bandemonium!", was held on June 10th. Other concerts were held in July, August and September.
The 23rd Street Association was founded in 1929 and has 300 members. 
Its goal is to "assist in the improvement and development of the area bounded by 18th and 28th Streets and the East and Hudson Rivers." The concert series is only one of the organization's many mission-related projects. Another project in which the International Toy Center played a significant role was the initiative to make Madison Square Park wireless Internet-capable.
W&H encourages its buildings' involvement in these kinds of organizations and activities. Through our ongoing efforts, we hope to help make New York a better place for our tenants, our employees, our neighbors, and the community at large.
