Each month, Helping Hands features a mortgage professional or group that has volunteered to lend a hand to others in need

Ivanna C. Sukkar

As published in Scotsman Guide's Commercial Edition, August 2007.

Name Chris Hurn, CEO, Mercantile Commercial Capital (MCC)

Project Fundraising for MercyCorps

Site Altamonte Springs, Fla.

How To celebrate its fourth anniversary, MCC held a Mardi Gras party and fundraiser this past February at its headquarters. The company organized a similar event in 2006, from which proceeds went to the American Red Cross for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.

Proceeds from this year's event came from suggested $20 donations from guests, and all funds went to MercyCorps. According to its Web site, MercyCorps "works amid disasters, conflicts, chronic poverty and instability." It also provides emergency-relief services and works toward economic-development and civil-society initiatives throughout the world.

Hurn says the company promoted the party and fundraiser through postcards, e-mails and voice mails to clients and referral partners.

Why Hurn says that in keeping with the event's Mardi Gras theme and with Hurricane Katrina devastation "still so fresh in our memories," MCC wanted to donate to an organization that was "working to serve and help rebuild the Gulf Coast region.‍

Hurn says he chose MercyCorps as the sole beneficiary for this year's event because he felt it fit this criterion by "teaching [aid recipients] skills and helping them help themselves, rather than just addressing immediate problems.‍

Impact MCC's Mardi Gras party and fundraiser helped raise more than $4,200 for MercyCorps.

MCC, which has given its Boatie Awards to referral partners and clients for the past two years, also named MercyCorps as Charity of the Year.

Try it www.mercycorps.org

Ivanna C. Sukkar is an associate editor at Scotsman Guide. Reach her at (800) 297-6061 or ivanna@scotsmanguide.com.

To share your company's story, e-mail articles@scotsmanguide.com.