If a company can have a soul, Cantor Fitzgerald surely does. Broken and lost under the weight of one of history’s darkest days, it has since been rebuilt and made better. The company’s memory remains strong and it’s mission redefined.
For all those that say ‘We will never forget’, the truth is that some do. Life gets in the way and tragedies continue to mount. But what Cantor Fitzgerald has done is create a legacy that reminds Americans that out of loss, hope must survive—a lesson for us all.
The Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund was created in honor of the 658 Cantor and 61 Euro Brokers employees who lost their lives on 9/11. The non-profit supports victims’ families and international charities that by extension help victims of other global tragedies.
Cantor Fitzgerald Charity Day has become an annual event—a day when all global revenues are dedicated to the Relief Fund. Since it’s inception in 2004, Cantor Fitzgerald and it’s affiliate BGC Partners have distributed more than $280 million.
The Relief Fund has leveraged their global reach to identify the greatest needs in the poorest areas. They’ve partnered with charities working hard to understand medicine’s most complex mysteries—Alzheimer’s, Autism, and Cancer, to name a few. The Relief Fund has discovered charities with incredible outreach—embedded in communities that need support.
Celebrities also pitch in—their help means bigger donations and more attention for the cause. Actors including Jake Gyllenhaal, Margot Robbie and Michael J. Fox team-up with sports icons including Alex Rodriguez, Johnny Damon and Mark Messier to work the phones, network relationships and make a difference.
“We will never forget. 9/11 forever changed the skyline ofNew York City, but was a time when our city and most peoplefrom around the world came together as one,” notes Alfred Zaccagnino, the President of Samarian Group, an international private equity firm based in New York City and supporter of Charity Day 2015. “It’s awesome how the Relief Fund has transformed a tragedy into hope for our city and other cities around the world. And being a part of Charity Day—well, there’s nothing I’d rather do.”
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