Meet the Crestwood-Sunset Chamber's Citizen of the Year

Last week the Crestwood-Sunset Hills Chamber of Commerce honored its 2012 Chamber Award Winners, including Citizen of the Year Michael Raebler. Raebler is a co-founder of Equity Financial Services.

Learn more about Raebler, from the Crestwood-Sunset Hills Chamber:

Raeber has lived in the South County area his entire life and attended Lindbergh High School. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Business, he married his high school sweetheart, Ann. They have been married for more than 30 years and have one child, Ali, who is currently a senior at Bryn Mawr College in Philadelphia.

Mike, with his best friend, Tom Brady, founded Equity Financial Services in 1984. They continue to be friends and partners today with their office located in the City of Crestwood.

Over the last 25 years, Mike has been part of numerous volunteer organizations and boards, including several terms on the Crestwood Sunset Hills Area Chamber’s board as Treasurer and President. He is a longtime member of the Kiwanis Club of Crestwood Sunset Hills. Mike has participated in countless volunteer activities, including serving dinners at Ronald McDonald House, reading books to pre-school children at Lindbergh ECE, volunteering at Kiwanis Camp Wyman, and cooking thousands of hot dogs at many school picnics. He has helped to organize fundraisers including golf tournaments, craft fairs and, everyones favorite, Bingo.

Through these many connections, and with the help of his friends and family, Mike has developed a special understanding of the meaning of community service. He learned early about the need to stay committed to helping others, but it was his friend, Tom Brady, who helped push him out of his comfort zone and learn the enormous joy that comes from small acts of love and kindness for those that are truly in need. More than 20 years ago Mike and Tom started collecting and delivering Christmas gifts and toys to school children in the St. Louis Public School System. The program has grown, with the help of many committed volunteers, from one school and 300 toys, to this past year when they distributed more than 4,000 toys to nearly 1,000 children. It is in those moments when a child, who expects nothing, receives a gift, that we can make a small difference. It is also in those moments that we feel the genuine rewards of community service