FourBlock Foundation is honored to announce Marsh & McLennan Companies as the recipient of this year’s Victoria McGrath Service Award, to be presented at the upcoming FourBlock Foundation Year End Reception on Tuesday, October 8th. This annual reception will be held at the New York Athletic Club and brings together local student veterans, FourBlock program alumni, and employer partners to celebrate student successes and honor influential supporters.
Each year at this reception, FourBlock awards an individual or organization that has gone above and beyond in supporting our programming and veterans in transition. The award is named after Victoria McGrath, who volunteered with FourBlock in Boston for several semesters. Victoria was a victim during the Boston Marathon Bombing, and was tragically killed in a car accident a few years later. The incredible care that she received from first responders (several of whom were veterans) inspired her to give back to the veteran community when she recovered from her injuries. FourBlock ended up being a meaningful place for her to give back.
Marsh & McLennan has been a tremendous supporter of FourBlock for nearly a decade. When FourBlock first implemented the Career Readiness Program for student veterans, Marsh colleagues Dan Baulig (a former Marine) and Donna Mastroianni (now with AIG) went above and beyond to volunteer their time. They hosted classes at their offices and secured classroom space so that student veterans could learn professional development skills and build relationships to help them transition into meaningful careers. Marsh & McLennan has also recruited from FourBlock, hiring more than fourteen graduates into full-time and internship roles.
Over the years, Marsh & McLennan’s support has expanded to hosting an annual fundraiser in New York, known as the Inspire Games. The idea originated when Marsh colleagues decided to turn an annual hockey game into a charity fundraiser. At that time, FourBlock was also supporting Gunnery Sergeant Ralph DeQuebec with his transition, and he wanted to pursue his dream of joining the US Para-Olympic Sled Hockey Team. As a result, Mike Rouse, Duncan Ellis, Dan Baulig and other Marsh & McLennan leaders grew the Inspire Games into a one-day tournament with many other companies in the insurance sector participating. Today, all proceeds of the event go towards funding Ralph’s Olympic Dreams as well as FourBlock programming. Ralph competed in the Para-Olympics in 2018 and brought home a gold medal.
For these reasons, and several more, FourBlock is honored to award Marsh & McLennan with this year’s Victoria McGrath Service Award for its unwavering commitment to serving veterans in transition.
The mission of FourBlock Foundation is to inspire transitioning veterans to reach their potential and equip them to achieve the best careers possible. For more information about how how to get involved, please visit https://fourblock.org, or contact info@fourblock.org.