"A key ethic of RSS has remained the imperative of giving back, via charity, to the communal organizations that have helped us become successful," said Barry Shapiro, son of the late co-founder.

When the time came to celebrate RSS’s 85th anniversary this year, partners Shapiro and Charles Flam knew it could be anything but a run-of-the-mill affair. "We decided to choose a deserving organization and make a sizeable donation that would make a major difference, rather than spend the money on a huge party to pat ourselves on our collective back," said Flam. "But we extended these efforts to enlist the significant participation of our clients in this important fundraiser."

What emerged from this special anniversary campaign has made a difference to the recipient of a $50,000 donation—the Montreal Oral School for the Deaf, which used the funds to establish a badly-needed playground for 50 full-time students and about 200 others who benefit from its services.

The school, which trains hearing-impaired children aged several months and older to listen and speak, relocated to Westmount from NDG in 2004.

It includes both health and educational components in its teaching routine, which is directed toward children using both hearing aids and cochlear implants to facilitate varying degrees of hearing. The new playground was as much an educational aid as a recreational one and therefore helped fill a gap.

"This playground was a necessity," stated Martha Perusse, the school’s principal. "On one hand, we could never run a program that keeps children inside all day without one. But on the other, the development of gross motor skills, which are learned on the playground, are essential to the acquisition of language skills. The children get really creative out there.

There is a little garden, a place where lessons are learned while planting pumpkins in the fall and sunflowers in the spring. There is also a small asphalt track, which features a play gas pump, where the children can drive their tricycles.

"Our condo neighbours have seen the children having fun while they learn and many have sent us donations, some as much as $1,000. The playground has become an outdoor classroom with multiple benefits for the school and its students."

The catalyst behind Robinson Sheppard Shapiro’s choice of the Montreal Oral School for the Deaf as its donation recipient was Anna Basili, Flam’s legal and administrative assistant. Basili enrolled her hearing-impaired son, Marco, in the school when he was just over 10 months old. Now an energetic, outgoing and highly motivated 17-year old, the younger Basili eagerly discusses advances in the educational field that have helped individuals such as him.

"Misconceptions (regarding the hearing impaired) are often very common, since many people are not familiar with others who have disabilities,"

Basili pointed out. "There are often times when they notice my hearing aid and do not know how to react, or do not have a lot of patience.

"But with the integration of special needs students into more elementary and high schools, I find that a greater number of teachers and students understand disabilities."

Basili, who is graduating with high marks this year from the International Baccalaureate Program at LaSalle Community Comprehensive High – a family tradition – surprises people when they learn he is profoundly hearing impaired and has been in an enriched program at his school. "Without the MOSD, I would have gone nowhere in this world," he admitted. "They taught me and my family about deafness and a teacher was always available to help.

When I was integrated into Allion Elementary in Grade 3, my MOSD teacher would visit me there twice per week, making sure my speech was doing well and that I was staying on track with my school work."

Basili’s dream is to own a Ferrari some day – "Little red Ferraris live in my blood," he said – but his current goal is to be accepted at Marianopolis CEGEP, in Pure and Applied Science, the first step toward an eventual career in mechanical or civil engineering or in the construction field.

For Shapiro, the work done by MOSD reinforces his firm’s philosophy that they are part of a larger community worth helping. "RSS is a medium sized firm today, with one of the finest compliments of lawyers and staff in the city. We do not work in a vacuum, but rather we owe our successes to the shared belief of our founding fathers, that being charitable to those in need defines who you are, even in the corporate world."

Added Flam, "For those children like Marco Basili who are excelling thanks to schools like the Montreal Oral School for the Deaf, we are proud to be celebrating our 85th anniversary this way. This world has a chance if we all pull together, on any occasion."