CHICAGO— Richard Boynton has been a fixture in the housewares industry for many years. The current president of Jura, he has also led high profile brands including Le Creuset and Sunbeam-Oster.
This year, Boynton will be honored by the industry he calls home as the Housewares Charity Foundation’s (HCF) Humanitarian of the Year. Joining him as 2017 HCF honorees at tonight’s gala at the Navy Pier are Williams-Sonoma president Janet Hayes, HCF Lifetime Humanitarian Award; and Phil Brandl, International Housewares Association president, who is receiving the Lifetime Leadership Award. Proceeds will benefit HCF’s legacy charity, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, and No Kid Hungry, a campaign by Share Our Strength that provides children access to healthy food.
“The Humanitarian of the Year Award is a tremendous honor, especially given the generosity and spirit of the housewares industry,” Boynton said. “I have great respect for the Housewares Charity Foundation and its work on behalf of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and the Share Our Strength No Kid Hungry program.”
On a personal level and through corporate endeavors, Boynton is involved in supporting various charities. His most passionate efforts focus on those to assist current and former members of the United States military.
“I have a special commitment to Wounded Warriors and the Veterans of Foreign Wars,” he said. “Needless to say, there are many important reasons to support these great causes, but on a personal level I’ve been inspired by my relationship with my father, a U.S. Army tank corps veteran.”
His connection to the armed services, while a personal passion, is also one that Jura has supported as well through monetary and product donations to a wide variety of charities focused on helping military members.
“Our active military, veterans and children have a special place in our hearts and are a primary focus for our donations,” Boynton added.
And the efforts of Jura to support the military have not gone unnoticed. Last year, the company sent products to the 129th Area Support Medical Company in Kabul, Afghanistan, and that effort was well received by the service members.
“We received a beautiful note with the signatures of all those who work with this medical support company,” he said. “It is gratifying to know that a simple act like this can make a difference.”
In addition to its charitable efforts that support the military, Jura’s U.S. division also welcomes input from its employees about supporting local and national charities. This includes the American Heart Association, St. Jude’s, Goodwill Industries, Make-a-Wish Foundation and United Cerebral Palsy-Wheels for Humanity among others.
On a corporate level, Jura Switzerland supports the foundation of its brand ambassador, tennis star Roger Federer, which this year includes the Match for Africa 3 scheduled for April 10 in Zurich.
The Roger Federer Foundation supports educational projects in the region of southern Africa and Switzerland. The programs on the African continent focus on improvement of the quality of early learning and basic education, and in Switzerland on the promotion of extra-curricular activities for children affected by poverty.
“Jura is an aspirational brand, in every sense of the word, and our employees understand that we’re here to do our best and be our best every day,” Boynton said. “Giving back to the community feels right in tying in with the Jura philosophy and reinforcing employee morale by making a difference.”
