EPI Advisors Raise $20 Thousand for Alzheimer’s at 2018 Summit Giveback

NASHVILLE, TN – Sept. 25, 2018 — Attendees of the 2018 Exit Planning Summit raised $20,000 for Abe’s Garden at the Annual Summit Giveback through a major silent auction held at the Hilton Nashville Downtown on Monday night.

The Exit Planning Institute’s Annual Summit Giveback differs from other Summits in the advisory field. The Summit Giveback event brings together high-powered advisors to put a positive footprint on the community. Each year the Exit Planning Institute team collaborates with local leaders in the host city to identify a local organization that can be positively impacted by the Summit Giveback. EPI kicks off the Summit with a big opening reception that raises funds for charity.

Gary Rzucidlo, the chairman of the 2018 Summit Giveback, was honored on Tuesday, September 25 at the Annual Excellence in Exit Planning Awards as the 2018 Member of the Year for his leadership, philanthropy, and community mindfulness.

“I felt like I won last night when we raised $20,000 for Abe’s Garden and today just puts the icing on the cake for a great week at the Summit,” said Gary Rzucidlo of BNY Mellon Wealth Management.  “I truly appreciate the support of the Snider family and the Exit Planning Institute.”

Ten percent of people (65 and older) have Alzheimer’s dementia and Abe’s Garden, Alzheimer’s and Memory Care Center of Excellence in Nashville is changing the way Americans handle a growing tragedy. Abe’s Garden is establishing a model of residential, day, and community-based programs for those with Alzheimer’s disease. The goal is to transform care for those with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias throughout the United States by providing an unprecedented level of care for individuals diagnosed with these disorders. Equally important, theirs is a site of research and teaching, setting a new standard for other programs and residential communities devoted to caring for our nation’s rapidly expanding senior population.

Abe’s Garden founder, Michael Shmerling, attended the event and remarked that this was “one of the most significant fundraising efforts” he had ever seen.

Christopher Snider, CEO of Exit Planning Institute; Scott Snider, Vice President of Exit Planning Institute; Michael Shmerling, Founder of Abe’s Garden; Beth Zeitlin, Director of Marketing & Development for Abe’s Garden, and Gary Rzucidlo, Senior Wealth Director of BNY Mellon Wealth Management and Chairman of the 2018 Summit Giveback

Summit Giveback Auction Items included: a week in the south of France, an autographed guitar by Hall of Fame Country Music Artists, Brad Paisley 2019 concert experience, Abe’s Garden Community Group (six-month membership), Private Napa Valley Tours and Tastings, songwriting session with two Nashville hit songwriters, The 52nd Annual CMA Awards, Amazon Echo, Bosom Buddy Bag and Kendra Scott jewelry set, Brett Young at the Ryman, EPI Business Development Package, personal training for a year, Taylor Swift Reputation merchandise, and photographs by Marty Stuart.

If you missed out on this chance to do good for Abe’s Garden and the millions of people affected by this tragedy, you can still donate here.

Make plans to join the 2019 Summit.

The Exit Planning Institute’s 2019 Exit Planning Summit will be held in historic San Antonio next September 23-25 (charity benefactor to be determined). Look at the details, make plans to join this career-changing event, and register here.

Thank you to the Giveback Partners.

Thank you to our Giveback Sponsors and the EPI Greater Nashville Chapter, all of whom make this powerful giving event possible.  Your philanthropic nature and influential leadership make this community stronger.

About the Exit Planning Institute:

The Exit Planning Institute (EPI) is an education company that provides exit planning education to advisors and middle market business owners.  We view exit planning as a strategy, not an event.

EPI leads the professional services profession with the best industry content, ongoing support, and owner education platform, all of which align with our mission: Change the outcome.

Only 2 out of every 10 businesses that come to market actually sell.  We want to increase the number of saleable businesses.

Only 30% of family businesses successfully transition to the second generation, only 12% transfer to the third, and the success rates diminish from there.  We want to improve those intergenerational transitions.

Of those that succeed in the sale of their business, 75% experience “profound regret” within one year of exiting their business.  We want to understand why and create strategies that achieve profound success, wealth, and satisfaction.

EPI is an education company, powered by an elite community of top advisors and owners, all focused on creating a valuable, transferable future for the business marketplace.