2018 Community Service Award Winner
American Red Cross in the National Capital Region
Blisk Financial Group
Spire Investment Partners, LLC
Brenda Blisk is the Chairman and Founder of volunteer-run fundraiser called “In the Bag” (ITB), a designer handbag auction that benefits the American Red Cross National Capital Region (ARC). Since 2010, Brenda has provided visionary leadership for all aspects of ITB, from recruiting countless event volunteers to forming a giving circle for prominent, high-level donors. Brenda’s sought to create a sustainable fundraiser that appealed to working woman in founding ITB and her efforts have been successful – so much so that other chapters have adopted similar fundraising models.
Brenda’s husband is a veteran of the United States Air Force and her commitment to making a difference for those who have served our country is strong. ARC volunteers greet plane loads of wounded soldiers weekly as they arrive at the airport from deployment, and the organization provides critical support to military hospitals in the area as well as shelters serving homeless or at-risk veterans. To date, Brenda and her ITB team have raised more than $1.2 million dollars for the American Red Cross National Capital Region.