Photographs by William Taufic.
Organizations
The Bigelow Center for Senior Activities, Sandcastle Playground, Wakeman Boys & Girls Club, YMCA of Fairfield, Mercy Learning Center, Cardinal Shehan Center, Neighborhood Studios of Fairfield County, Center for Family Justice, Connecticut Food Bank, Operation Hope, Burroughs Community Center, Grasmere by the Sea, Caroline House, Bridgeport Rescue Mission, Janus House, Norma Pfriem Breast Center at Bridgeport Hospital, Bridge House, Connecticut Challenge, Taylor YMCA, Camp Hi-Rock
Inspiration
“In 1988 I started a road race because an employee’s son had passed away in a car accident. I wanted to establish a scholarship in his name,” says Cindi Bigelow, the third generation president and CEO of the family-run business. Then in the 1990s, she joined the Bridgeport Regional Business Council and formed relationships with the directors of large charities in the area.
Debra Greenwood, president/CEO of The Center for Family Justice, says, “Cindi personally visits and exhaustively vets each and every organization that ultimately benefits from Bigelow’s largesse, doing all the due diligence necessary to help truly beneficial charities and nonprofits and their clients thrive.”
Cindi’s philanthropic roots run deep. Her grandmother adopted a town in West Virginia in the fifties and supplied them with books, clothes and shoes. “It’s in our DNA,” she says.
Courage in Action
The Bigelow Tea Community Challenge alone has raised $1.2 million since the first race in 1988. One hundred percent of money raised goes to community charities. “Under Cindi’s personal leadership, Bigelow Tea has directly helped more than twenty community organizations in ways that have had a profound and long-term impact on Fairfield and its environs for more than two decades,” says Debra. “Her dedication and reach go way beyond supporting a popular fundraising run. Cindi consistently goes above and beyond in her zeal to support nonprofits in ways that have a real impact.”
Debra adds, “A recent example of Cindi’s generosity is the Bigelow Wellness Studio at The Center for Family Justice. Cindi championed the need for CFJ’s clients and staff—who work directly with victims of trauma on a daily basis—to have a calming oasis for restoration and healing. She underwrote the entire cost of creating a state-of-the-art wellness studio. Cindi is also the person responsible for spearheading the transformation of Fairfield’s former Senior Activities Center into the Bigelow Senior Center, a dynamic gathering spot for mature town residents.”
Hopes & Dreams
“I hope that Bigelow Tea remains the No. 1 specialty tea company for decades to come, so that we can continue to lend our reputation and voice to support the needs of the community,” says Cindi. “We never want to lose sight of our mission to be a good corporate citizen.”