Firm Donates More Than 200 Pairs of New Headphones to Rochester School Students
Rochester, New York, November 13, 2025– Students at Rochester’s Flower City School #54 received a special lesson in kindness today through a surprise donation from attorneys and staff at Harter Secrest & Emery LLP.
Representatives from the firm delivered more than 200 pairs of new Sony headphones to the school this morning. School administrators, the school’s 4th Grade class and members of the Student Council accepted the donation on behalf of the school. Harter Secrest & Emery hosted a collection drive at the firm’s Rochester headquarters in recognition of World Kindness Day, which was established in 1998 and is observed annually on November 13. The headphones donated by the firm’s attorneys and staff were presented after students gave a brief presentation on what World Kindness Day means to them.
“Kindness is an important, life-long lesson that knows no age, geography or boundaries,” said Jodi A. Reynolds, Partner in the firm’s Intellectual Property practice and co-chair of Harter Secrest & Emery’s Diversity Committee, who helped organize the donation drive. “We wanted to share with the students the overarching belief that everyone in our community can see, express, and share some act of kindness, large or small, every day.”
According to school officials, the headphones are a welcome resource for students and classrooms. Students at Flower City School #54 use headphones daily as part of their classroom and learning experience. They are used with IReady computer assessments, in grade-level computer programs, and with New York State computer-based testing.
“Acts of kindness go a long way in brightening a child’s day, from something as simple as a smile or encouraging word to receiving a wonderful gift like these headphones,” said Demitria Lawton-Greggs, Principal of the Flower City School No. 54. “We are extremely grateful to Harter Secrest & Emery for their generosity and continued support of our students and school community.”
Located at 36 Otis Street, Flower City School #54 serves students in Grades Pre-K-6. The school promotes a safe and caring learning environment where students can celebrate culture and diversity. Through restorative practices, the school fosters a community of collaboration where all are valued. Flower City School honors student achievement and provides positive experiences to help all members of the school community develop deep-rooted talents and skills for continuous learning.
Today’s donation continues a long partnership between Harter Secrest & Emery and the Rochester City School District. The firm donated winter hats and gloves to students at Flower City School #54 for World Kindness Day in 2023. For several years, attorneys from the firm also organized and led a team of community volunteers to host a Mother’s Day Jewelry Shop program at local schools in the District. This program rewarded students who achieved attendance and behavior goals by inviting them to a special event where they selected Mother’s Day gifts from hundreds of donated pieces of costume jewelry.
“Rochester is our community, our home,” said Tammy L. Garcia-Klipfel, Senior Associate in Harter Secrest & Emery’s Real Estate practice, who helped organize the firm’s headphones donation drive. “Partnering with our schools on initiatives like today’s donation that support and benefit students hopefully makes an impression on the students, and encourages and inspires them, even in a small way, to do something for someone else. If that sort of lesson carries forward, our entire community benefits and grows stronger together, which is something we all want.”
About Harter Secrest & Emery LLP
Harter Secrest & Emery LLP is a full-service business law firm with attorneys throughout New York representing clients ranging from individuals and family-owned businesses to Fortune 100 companies and major regional institutions. With offices in Rochester, Buffalo, Albany, Corning, and New York City, New York, the firm and its attorneys are consistently recognized by the industry’s leading law firm and attorney ranking programs, including Chambers and Partners, Best Law Firms® and The Best Lawyers in America®.