Donations help two local agencies DZ Trading gives money to Center for Women in Transition, Boys & Girls

Club NATE REENS Staff writer On Thursday, Donna Cornwell and the staff at the Center for Women in Transition discussed cutting $100,000 from their operating budget benefiting victims of sex ual and physical abuse. Come Friday, the center's executive director let out a sigh of relief as she acc epted $50,000 from DZ Trading, Ltd., a Holland company specializing in the manuf acturing of upscale men's and women's clothing. Standing by Cornwell's side was Brian Manderfield, the executive director of the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Holland, who also warmed to the idea of stuffing a $25,000 check in his jacket pocket. The $75,000 in donations -- more than double a 1999 contribution -- comes courte sy of an annual holiday sale in which all proceeds are donated to local agencies . The sale, which ran last year from Dec. 6 to Dec. 9, features manufacturing over runs at deeply discounted prices, said Ed Duffy, who co-owns DZ Trading, 276 W. 13th St., with his brother, Pat Duffy. "This is a great opportunity to build on community spirit and to give to two gre at organizations which do so much for the Holland area," Ed Duffy said. "I grew up right down the street and have watched Holland go through many change s and groups like these try to help everyone." Cornwell said the Duffys asked that half of the $50,000 be used for the center's capital campaign, which seeks to purchase and renovate a program center and exp and the residential house. The other half will be used to lighten the group's bu dget crunch. "This is a tremendous contribution for us in what is a fairly lean year," Cornwe ll said. "We were facing some real hard choices and we don't want to cut programming. Thi s is a big boost to both our budget and fund-raising campaign." Manderfield called the $25,000 infusion "a huge relief" and said the money will support all programs at the club at the corner of 18th Street and Van Raalte Ave nue. "This just shows that Ed and Pat are committed to the neighborhood and the heart of our city," he said. "They could have looked at national or international causes, but they chose to s tay here and that's encouraging." Ed Duffy said the giving won't end either because he and his brother are plannin g on a larger sale this December. "Why not make it bigger and better each year?" Duffy asked. "It'll only benefit more people." FUNDRAISING: (L-R) Det. Al Rios, Holland Police Department, Brian Manderfield, H olland Boys and Girls Club, Edward Duffy, President of DZ ltd., Donna Cornwall a nd Jane Patterson, of Center for women in Transition. Edward Duffy gave checks t o both organizations totaling 75,000 dollars from money raised during a Christma s fundraiser. Sentinel/Brian Forde Copyright 2001, 2008 The Holland Sentinel, All Rights Reserved