New York – Brad Hampton, CEO of Helzberg Diamonds, and Jeff, Kathy and Joe Corey of Day’s Jewelers will be honoured at Jewelers for Children’s Facets of Hope event next summer.
The annual event will be held on Sunday, June 2, during Jewellery Market Week at the Palazzo Ballroom of the Venetian Resort Hotel in Las Vegas.
Morris Helzberg opened the first Helzberg Diamonds store in Kansas City in 1915. He soon passed the reins to his son Barnett, who sold the company to Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway in 1995.
Beryl Raff took the helm of the company in 2009, and in 2012 the brand launched ‘Helzberg Helps’ to honour its philanthropic traditions, with a mission to lead fundraising efforts and organise volunteer activities, primarily for charities that benefit children and families in need.
In 2017, Helzberg Diamonds received the Corporate Legacy of Philanthropy Award – which recognises a company’s actions to improve the lives of its local community while making a global impact – at the Diamond Empowerment Fund’s Diamonds Do Good gala in Las Vegas.
Hampton assumed the role of CEO last year and has continued Helzberg’s mission while becoming personally involved in his local community.
He serves on the board of directors for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Missouri & Kansas and as chairman of the board of trustees for Center Place Restoration School. He previously served on the board of Junior Achievement of Greater Kansas City.
The Corey family is also active in the community.
In 1988, Jeff and Kathy, along with Jeff’s brother, purchased the eight-store Day’s Jewelers chain, which was founded in 1914. Their son, Joe, joined them in 2006.
Today, Joe serves as president and Jeff and Kathy serve on the board of directors, with Jeff serving as chairman.
Day’s has been recognised as one of Maine’s Best Places to Work for several years and was named Retailer of the Year by the Retail Association of Maine in 2016. In 2019, the store received the Renys Large Business Award from the Institute for Family-Owned Business of Maine.
Jeff has served as treasurer and president of the Downtown Waterville Business Association and is one of the original founders of the local Taste of Waterville festival, where he served as chairman for many years.
He is also a past director and chairman of the Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce.
Jeff is a past president of the Maine Jewelers Association, a long-time member of the JCK Las Vegas Show Advisory Board and was inducted into the National Jeweler Hall of Fame in 2000.
He has served on the Board of Directors of Jewelers of America, the Board of Directors of Jewelers for Children, the De Beers/Forevermark Advisory Council and is currently a Director on the Board of the Jewelers Board of Trade.
Kathy has served on a dozen boards, including the Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce, the State of Maine’s Main Street Program, the Waterville Recreational and Arts Cultural Center, and the Kennebec Community College Foundation. She currently serves on the boards of Northern Light Health and Diamonds Do Good.
She has received the Elias A. Joseph Award for Chamber Service from the Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce, the Woman of the Year Award from the Business and Professional Women’s Organization, the Corporate Award for Excellence from the Women’s Jewellery Association, and the Retailer of the Year for the State of Maine from the Retail Association of Maine.
Joe also serves on several boards, including Jewelers for Children, Jewelers of America, the Jewelry Industry Coalition and the JCK Show Advisory Board. He also played a leading role in the creation of the Employee Stock Ownership Plan in 2021, which allowed ownership of Day’s to be transferred to its employees.
During Day’s 100th anniversary celebration in 2014, the company raised more than $100,000 for Jewelers for Children, involving all of its employees and the local communities where its stores and customers are located.
“Brad, Jeff, Kathy and Joe clearly exemplify the best of Jewelers for Children and their commitment to our success is unparalleled,” said Jeffrey Cohen, Chairman of the JFC Board of Directors.
“With them headlining the Facets of Hope event in 2024, it will prove to be one of the most successful events in our history.”
In addition to honouring Hampton and the Corey family, the JFC will announce the results of the year’s fundraising efforts and pledged donations to charity partners.
The evening will begin at 6pm with dinner and cocktails. There will be a short programme to honour the 2023 winners, followed by dessert.
JFC was founded in 1999 by the US jewellery industry with a mission to enrich the lives of children.
Since its inception, JFC has raised more than $60 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Make-A-Wish America and the National CASA Association.
JFC also supports Make-A-Wish International and the Autism Research Organization.
