Baker Donelson marked its 125th anniversary in 2013. We are proud of our rich history, yet very aware that our decades of service would not be possible without the support of our clients and the communities in which we live and work. As a show of our appreciation for your 125 years of support, we dedicated this significant year in our history to our clients and communities by committing to 125 Acts of Kindness. Some acts were in the form of community service and others were "Random Acts of Kindness" that we individually carried out. We invite you to follow our journey and to join in with your own Random Acts of Kindness on our Facebook page.

Here's to another 125 years!

Baker Donelson's 2013 Acts of Kindness
These are service events in which we participated as a Firm in 2013. 

1. We participated in a year-long awareness and fundraising campaign for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, donating more than $12,000.
2. We raised $1,000 and awareness for women’s heart disease for the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women campaign.
3. Our Chattanooga office provided dinner once each month for the women and children at Chattanooga's Room in the Inn.
4. Each of our offices "adopts" a school in its area to provide supplies, volunteers and other support.
5. We organized a firm-wide jeans day with proceeds benefiting St. Jude.
6. Our Atlanta office collected school supplies and diapers for the Easter Seals Day Care Center.
7. Our Atlanta office collected monetary and food donations for the "Georgia Legal Food Frenzy."
8. Employees in our Atlanta office participated in a "Susan G. Komen 3-Day" walk to cure breast cancer.
9. Supplies were donated by Baton Rouge employees for care packages that were sent to Army troops stationed in southern Afghanistan. 
10. Employees in our Baton Rouge office participated in "Get Your Rear in Gear," a local run/walk event to raise awareness about colon cancer.
11. Baker Donelson was a bronze sponsor of the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center "Taste of the Tournament," a fundraiser in Baton Rouge to hlp fund cancer treatment and cancer screenings for uninsured and underinsured members of the community.
12. Our Birmingham office raised nearly $1,000 for "United Cerebral Palsy Casual Day."
13. Children of employees who participated in "Bring Your Kids to Work Day" at our Chattanooga office set up a fruit stand and donated the proceeds to St. Jude.
14. Our Chattanooga office held a silent auction to raise funds to help repair playground equipment at Hill Crest Elementary School. 
15. Employees in our Houston office earned cash for Cook Elementary School by clipping and donating "Box Tops for Education" coupons.
16. Our Houston office held a jeans day fundraiser for Discovery Green, a park in downtown Houston that many people enjoy.
17. Our Houston office collected thousands of soda can pop tabs to donate to Ronald McDonald House Charities. 
18. Baker Donelson's Jackson office participated in a math quiz challenge, with proceeds benefiting Baker Elementary School.
19. Our Jackson office sent the fifth grade class at Baker Elementary School to see "The Cat in the Hat" at New Stage Theater.
20. Employees in our Jackson office made donations of $5 or more to purchase a book for each of the approximately 385 students of Baker Elementary School. Extra donations were used to purchase books either for the school library or individual classrooms.
21. Our Jackson office sponsored "Field Day" at Baker Elementary School, an event that includes space jumps, cotton candy and snow-ball machines.
22. Our Jackson office raised more than $500 for "Go Red for Women Day," benefiting the American Red Cross.
23. Through various fundraising events, employees in our Jackson office raised nearly $5,000 for the 2013 Susan G. Komen "Race for the Cure."
24. Our Johnson City office held a fundraiser for the Greene County, Tennessee, Disaster Fund.
25. Employees in our Johnson City office raised money to donate holiday gift decorations to Lamar Elementary, a local school.
26. Johnson City employees participated in the Susan G. Komen "Race for the Cure" in Kingsport, Tennessee. 
27. Employees in our Johnson City office held a fundraiser for the Southern Appalachian Ronald McDonald House.
28. Our Knoxville office held an employee donation drive for "Go Red for Women Day."
29. Employees in our Knoxville office participated in monthly Mobile Meals deliveries for local residents.
30. Employees in our Knoxville office raised more than $700 for St. Jude through a casual day fundraiser.
31. Knoxville employees help set up the Talahi Plant Sale, part of an Earth Day project.
32. Baker Donelson's Knoxville employees donated gently used clothing for the KBA Barristers Professional Clothing Drive.
33. Employees in our Knoxville office provided assistance to the Second Harvest Food Bank.
34. Employees in our Mandeville office adopted a family for Christmas through the local chapter of Hands of Hope.
35. Mandeville employees participated in a fundraiser and donation drive for the Samaritan Center.
36. Our Mandeville office raised money for St. Jude through several events, including casual day and hot dog day fundraisers.
37. Employees in our Mandeville office volunteered all year at Woodlake Elementary and Lyon Elementary schools.
38. Mandeville employees raised more than $300 for the KIT (Kids in Transition) school supply drive.
39. Memphis employees raised nearly $10,000 during the ArtsMemphis Talent Show.
40. Our Memphis office filled 26 boxes full of school supplies, backpacks and uniforms as part of a donation to Whitney Elementary School.
41. The Memphis office's "Barrister's Breakfast" collected more than $9,400 in 2013. 100% of this total was sent to the Memphis-Mid South affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
42. Our Memphis office donated more than 300 ties to "Guys with Ties" at Downtown Elementary School. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, young men at the school are asked to wear ties in order to promote good behavior, good grooming habits and professionalism.
43. Employees in our Memphis office participated in an annual Habitat for Humanity build.
44. Employees in our Memphis office donated nearly $18,000 to the United Way.
45. Our Nashville office raised $3,500 for the American Heart Association Gala.
46. Lawyers in our Nashville office participated at the HELP Clinic, which provides pro bono help to the homeless.
47. Employees in our Nashville office raised nearly $500 for St. Jude during an annual hot dog fundraiser.
48. Nashville employees manned a water station during the "Music City Marathon" in April.
49. Employees in our Nashville office raised $4,600 for a "Hermitage Gala" sponsorship.
50. Our Nashville employees participated in a fundraiser and donation drive for the Second Harvest food pantry.
51. Employees in our New Orleans office participated monthly in "Feed the Homeless" at Ozanam Inn.
52. Our New Orleans employees held multiple fundraisers to decorate, furnish and outfit the Baker Donelson Computer Lab at KIPP Believe Primary School.
53. Employees in our New Orleans office participated in "Hogs for the Cause," a local fundraiser to benefit research and treatment of pediatric brain cancer.
54. Volunteers from the New Orleans office answered phones and introduced local art pieces during a fundraiser for the PBS affiliate in New Orleans.
55. Employees in our Orlando office held multiple casual days to raise money for St. Jude. 
56. Employees in our Orlando office participated in the American Heart Association's "Go Red for Women" campaign, raising money for the AHA through various events and activities.
57. Employees in our Washington office donated clothes, coats and small appliances to be given to the "Gifts for the Homeless" program, which in turn distributes items to all homeless shelters in the Washington metropolitan area.
58. Volunteers in our Washington office raised money to purchase snacks and phone cards for soldiers serving overseas.
59. Employees in our Washington office held multiple casual days to raise money for St. Jude.

Employee Random Acts of Kindness
These "pay-it-forward" acts of kindness were dedicated to our clients and communities in 2013, our 125th year.

1. A Baker Donelson employee in Knoxville assisted a disabled individual, using a walker, into his vehicle.
2. The winner of a BakerFit challenge in Houston signed over the entirety of his winnings, in the amount of $650, to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
3. A Baker Donelson attorney in Orlando donated $135 to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital so that everyone in the Orlando office could wear jeans on the Firm's "Casual for a Cause" day.
4. A Baker Donelson employee in Memphis anonymously paid for the person behind him in the drive-thru line at a local Starbucks.
5. A Baker Donelson employee in Birmingham filled in and arranged altar flowers at her church for a woman whose husband was sick, to free up her time so she could take him for treatment.
6. A Baker Donelson employee in Atlanta paid the toll for the car behind her every day for two weeks during morning and afternoon commutes.
7. A Baker Donelson employee in Chattanooga helped a young family pay for car repairs.
8. Baker Donelson employees in Nashville donated blood at the annual Red Cross blood drive.
9. A Baker Donelson employee in Washington, D.C., donated clothing, including a suit, to a local homeless program.
10. A Baker Donelson employee in Nashville donated supplies to a local elementary school during its Fall Festival.
11. A Baker Donelson employee in Birmingham organized a meal for a friend who had to undergo unexpected surgery.
12. A Baker Donelson employee in Nashville organized a book drive to benefit a local nonprofit group.
13. A Baker Donelson employee in Knoxville purchased coffee and breakfast for mechanics who were working on her car at a repair shop.
14. A Baker Donelson employee in Atlanta paid for another person's taxi at the airport.
15. A Baker Donelson employee in Birmingham helped his neighbor maintain the yard of an empty house in their neighborhood.
16. A Baker Donelson employee in Memphis bought groceries for a mother and her four children she met while shopping at a local store.
17. A Baker Donelson employee in Birmingham donated gas money to a family in need that was traveling home to Arkansas.
18. A Baker Donelson employee in Memphis helped a runner who fell and was injured during a recent 5K race.
19. A Baker Donelson employee in Nashville completed a 6-month mentorship program sponsored by a local civic organization. The team she mentored organized a series of fundraisers that raised more than $25,000 for Big Brothers/Big Sisters.
20. A Baker Donelson employee in Memphis placed a pack of spearmint gum with an attached note that read, "Your life has a purpose. You were 'mint' to be here. Have a blessed day!!" on the windshield of 20 random cars in a local store's parking lot. Then, he sat back and watched the many smiles.
21. A Baker Donelson employee in Chattanooga sent Starbucks gift cards to the day nurse, night nurse and physical therapist who took excellent care of her mother following her recent surgery to let them know how much she appreciated everything that they did for her.
22. A Baker Donelson employee in Birmingham gave a $25 gas card to a person struggling financially.
23. A Baker Donelson employee in Jackson donated school supplies to Operation Homefront.
24. A Baker Donelson employee in Mandeville assisted a neighbor in need with lawn care.
25. A Baker Donelson employee in Orlando donated blood during a critical need drive for his blood type.
26. A Baker Donelson employee in Memphis assisted a motorist with changing a flat tire.
27. At a local restaurant, a Baker Donelson employee in Houston bought lunch for a man whose credit card was not working.
28. A Baker Donelson employee in Birmingham helped locate the owner of a puppy found wandering around her neighborhood.
29. A Baker Donelson employee in Birmingham helped a friend in need purchase a car.
30. A Baker Donelson employee in Memphis donated several items off the Amazon wish list for Le Bonheur Children's Hospital.
31. A Baker Donelson employee in Knoxville bought and donated school supplies to a local elementary school.
32. A Baker Donelson employee in Memphis left candy bars on co-workers' desks, along with encouraging notes.
33. A Baker Donelson employee in Baton Rouge purchased and donated school supplies to local schools, including her son's.
34. A Baker Donelson employee in Knoxville gathered clothing for an organization her church supports.
35. A Baker Donelson employee in New Orleans helped paint the computer lab at a local school.
36. A Baker Donelson employee in Johnson City helped a fellow motorist jumpstart her car in a local mall parking lot.
37. A Baker Donelson employee in Knoxville stopped to help a stranded motorist on a narrow rural road.
38. A Baker Donelson employee in Nashville helped organize a clothing drive to benefit local charitable organizations.
39. A Baker Donelson employee in Jackson spotted a teacher in a checkout line at a local store, and helped her pay for school supplies.
40. A Baker Donelson employee in New Orleans walked her neighbor's dog while the owner recovered from surgery.
41. A Baker Donelson employee in New Orleans paid $25 toward a random child's school clothes that were on layaway at a local store.
42. A Baker Donelson employee in Birmingham prepared a lease agreement for a person in need.
43. A Baker Donelson employee in Birmingham gave $400 to a man missing work due to cancer treatments.
44. A Baker Donelson employee in Birmingham donated new items to Firehouse Shelter.
45. A Baker Donelson employee in Memphis assisted a friend having financial difficulties with daycare tuition.
46. A Baker Donelson employee in New Orleans helped a disabled family friend sign up for a public assistance program, and also provided financial assistance.
47. A Baker Donelson employee in Memphis volunteered at "Wills for Heroes" to notarize and act as a witness for wills for emergency personnel.
48. A Baker Donelson employee in Orlando donated money to his son's elementary school so that all children would be able to attend a recent field trip.
49. A Baker Donelson employee in Mandeville donated time and books to a neighbor's community library project.
50. A Baker Donelson employee in Jackson dropped off donuts for the employees at her dry cleaners.
51. A Baker Donelson employee in Birmingham passed out brownies to security guards and co-workers in her building.
52. A Baker Donelson employee in Birmingham donated money she received for her birthday to a friend going through cancer treatment.
53. A Baker Donelson employee in Memphis assisted an elderly person who had fallen. The employee helped him up and then gave the man one of his own extra walking canes from his car.
54. A Baker Donelson employee in Jackson helped secure a gift of 400+ backpacks for the children at a local elementary school.
55. A Baker Donelson employee in Nashville donated DVDs to a bookstore for store credit, then used that credit to buy children's books to donate to a book charity for children.
56. A Baker Donelson employee in New Orleans paid off layaways for random families during the Christmas season.
57. A Baker Donelson employee in Nashville, along with family and friends, assembled and passed out nearly 100 sack lunches to the homeless in downtown Nashville.
58. A Baker Donelson employee in Atlanta purchased a gift card for a family member to use to treat a friend to a Mother's Day lunch.
59. A Baker Donelson employee in Johnson City helped organize a shoe donation drive for a local shelter.
60. A Baker Donelson employee in Jackson made monthly donations to a local food pantry.
61. During the hot summer months, a Baker Donelson employee in Jackson regularly leaves cold drinks for her garbage collectors.
62. A Baker Donelson employee in Orlando uses spare change during her lunch break to feed parking meters that are close to expiring.
63. A Baker Donelson employee in Nashville bought clothes and school supplies for the kindergarten-age son of a family in need.
64. A Baker Donelson employee in Memphis organized a toiletry donation drive for a local elementary school.
65. A Baker Donelson employee in Memphis purchased two coats for children at a local elementary school.
66. A Baker Donelson employee in New Orleans helped take care of an elderly neighbor's handicapped daughter by cooking meals.

Come back to see this list grow. We also invite you to "pay it forward" and tell us about your Random Act on our Facebook page.