SAN DIEGO, CALIF. -- Fully 75 treasury and finance professionals gathered for the annual AFP Aware Community Service Day, Sunday morning at AFP 2017. Every year, AFP Aware, sponsored by BBVA Compass, partners with organizations committed to corporate and social responsibility, and hosts community service projects.

AFP 2017 keynote speaker and TV host Mike Rowe gave the opening remarks to kick off the event. He provided some words of encouragement for attendees, noting that “it’s okay to feel really good about doing something nice for somebody else.”

AFP hosted two community service projects this year. At the onsite event, volunteers worked with Promises2Kids, a nonprofit organization that responds to the needs of foster children. Volunteers made fleece blankets and birthday cards for foster kids at the Polinsky Children’s Center, as well as packed care boxes.

For this year’s offsite event, AFP Aware volunteers worked with the San Diego River Park Foundation, which aims to improve the health of the San Diego River. Volunteers participated in the foundation’s Coastal Habitat Restoration Project along the San Diego River Mouth, removing invasive plant species, planting native plants, fixing trails and picking up litter.

AFP spoke with a number of volunteers at AFP Aware Community Service Day to find out why the event means so much to them:



Even if you missed AFP Aware Community Service Day, don’t worry—you can still participate. As always, AFP Aware is hosting Paintfest in the exhibit hall. Stop by the booth to paint pre-drawn murals provided by the Foundation for Hospital Art. The murals will be donated to children's hospitals across the country. And don’t forget about our 15 minute wellness sessions in the Wellness Zone. These are a great way to recharge your batteries and help you focus during the flurry of activity that is AFP 2017. Wellness sessions occur on Monday and Tuesday.