Global Community Day in the U.S South & Southeast: Helping Hands & Warm Hearts
CitiWorld, December 20, 2007
Editor’s Note: On November 17, more than 59,000 Citi volunteers, including family and friends, made a positive difference in their local communities all around the world. Check out the Global Community Day Photo Gallery and see colleagues in EMEA, Japan, Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia Pacific, and the U.S. working together.
Citi volunteers across the South and Southeast region in the U.S. truly demonstrated the meaning of Southern heart and hospitality on Global Community Day.
In Frederick, Maryland, 50 volunteers from CitiMortgage, Citi Smith Barney, and CitiFinancial, their families and friends, traveled to the Frederick Rescue Mission’s Beacon House to prepare and serve a hot breakfast and bagged 300 lunches. Other volunteers formed an assembly line to create and distribute 200 food boxes with Thanksgiving turkey dinners.
CitiMortgage’s annual Thanksgiving Food Drive for the mission this year included Smith Barney’s Frederick office, which brought the total of donations to 6,322 food items.
Said Guy Mutchler, Director of Food Services at the Frederick Rescue Mission, “Citi’s volunteers did an amazing job. Citi’s annual Thanksgiving Food Drive will go a long way in replenishing our stock of food.” CitiMortgage’s Frederick Site President Dave Lucchino said, “This year’s event brought together associates from CitiMortgage, CitiFinancial, and Citi Smith Barney to assist the Mission with one of its largest single-day food distribution events ever. The level of energy and teamwork demonstrated by employees from across our local Citi companies was fantastic.”
In Hagerstown, Maryland, 360 volunteers worked at eight events to make a positive impact throughout the area.
Led by Kelly Colbert, Operations Manager, and Sue Jelinek, Unit Manager, the team donated and delivered 3,000 pounds of food to Food Resources Inc. The week prior to Global Community Day, Citi Hagerstown employees donated 1,700 pounds of food and on November 17, volunteers set up a table at Wal-Mart and got more donations from community members.
Another team led by Public Affairs and Communications Senior Manager Cassandra Latimer painted chairs and chapel pews at Brook Lane Hospital while at the Farhney-Keedy retirement community a Citi team, led by Sales Coach Brandy Stottlemyer, shared conversation, fun, and games—with blankets and socks as prizes—with the residents. The volunteers decorated seven Christmas trees throughout the building.
More than 160 Hagerstown employees helped the South Washington County Military Support Group by writing notes on 3,000 greeting cards that will be sent to U.S. troops serving in Iraq and in Afghanistan. Some volunteers wrote cards during the breaks at work while others made it a family affair.
Hagerstown’s annual JFK 50-Mile Memorial race was supported by 60 volunteers who worked at break stations and cheered on the runners. Nine Citi employees spent the day at the Greencastle-Antrim Organized Youth Foundation. Said Dee Rider of Program Management who led the team, “We painted two large rooms, made four shadow box display cases, created a large flower bed, put up a retaining wall, and spread ten tons of stone.”
Project Share, which meets the needs of the hungry, benefited from the work of 10 Citi Hagerstown volunteers. Led by Project Analyst Kitzie Galbraith, they filled Thanksgiving bags and distributed food to more than 270 families. Galbraith said, “While we do give food to people in need, we also share kind words and a smile.”
Citi Hagerstown employees—22 in all, led by Unit Manager Cristy Smoot—showed their appreciation for the Western Maryland Hospital Center by painting halls and rooms and visiting patients.
In Louisville, Kentucky, 200 Citi Cards volunteers worked at several community events, including the annual Cerebral Palsy K.ID.S. (Kentuckiana Institute of Developmental Services) Center Fashion Show, which raises money for tuition for needy families whose children attend the center. More than 40 Citi volunteers teamed up for the organization which Citi has long supported.
Citi Cards Louisville Senior Operations Manager Rob Mitchell said, “We assisted with the 2007 K.I.D.S. Holiday Fashion Show as children from the organization sported the latest fashions. What a great way to participate in Global Community Day by showcasing these ‘shining stars.’"
There was no shortage of help in Jacksonville, Florida, as more than 200 volunteers joined forces and donated their time on one of the coldest days of the year to help seven local organizations.
Some of the favorites were the Clara White Mission, where NAO&T COO Rich Garside joined the volunteers, and the I.M. Sulzbacher Center for the Homeless, both long-standing partners of Citi. Employees, friends and family painted, sorted clothes and organized donations, including more than 2,000 cans of food collected by Citi employees.
Smith Barney organized a local food drive to benefit Second Harvest Food Bank while CitiFinancial partnered with Citi Cards at the Mandarin and Singleton Senior Centers. Volunteers took paintbrushes in hand and painted over the lime green and orange paint of the Singleton Center to bring it into the 21st century while at the Mandarin, volunteers cleared pathways, planted flowers and pruned trees.
Citi employees, friends, and families worked a solid eight hours to frame a Habitat for Humanity house for Citi-sponsored homeowner Carolyn Davis, a single retiree, while the team of volunteers in the Springfield Historical District spruced up the neighborhood, cleaning, pruning and building a playhouse for kids. Springfield Executive Director Louise DeSpain said, “Springfield has come such a long way and Citi has been a big contributor to our efforts.”
Atlanta, Georgia, was the site of more good-hearted contributions of time and talent. At Project Open Hand, 30 Citi Cards employees hit the highways to deliver meals to the elderly and homebound on a dozen different delivery routes. Employees and family members partnered up, a la “The Amazing Race,” to drive and navigate around town. While the deliveries were taking place, 12 volunteers prepared the next week's meals.
In downtown Atlanta, 10 Citi volunteers, including the head of Citi’s Home Depot division, Loren Kranz, helped construct a Habitat for Humanity house by shingling the roof, and installing siding and insulation. Members of the Citi Cards Management Association program participated in a project in Atlanta's Piedmont Park.
More than 100 Atlanta-based Primerica and Citi employees volunteered their time at the Gwinnett Children’s Shelter. The team enthusiastically set to work painting a colorful mural, completely rebuilding a staircase, helping with landscaping, and cleaning up the property.
Primerica volunteers partnered with Habitat of Humanity of Gwinnett County on the county’s October “Day of Service” to help make the home of Rhett and Tammy Davidson a reality.
In Gray, Tennessee, Citi Cards volunteers sorted and labeled tons of food collected during the Second Harvest Food Bank/Boy Scouts of America “Scouting for Food” drive. Employees from the Workforce Management and Training collected $250 and purchased 232 pounds of food for the drive. Volunteers, including Grey Site President Jeff Jones, kept up an annual tradition by decorating the local Ronald McDonald House for the holidays. Citi Cards volunteers also rang bells and collected donations for the Salvation Army.
In South Florida, the regional offices for Latin America and the Caribbean participated in two events. In Miami, 106 volunteers worked at Broadmoor Elementary School painting murals and landscaping. In Broward County, 150 employees spent the day at a local foster care center, clearing brush, planting trees, and cleaning the facility's large yard.
“Citi gets more done in one morning than any other group. I am amazed how no one wants to leave until they are done.” This comment from the site facility manager at Tampa’s Hope Children’s Home was indicative of the appreciation Citi volunteers earned during Global Community Day.
More than 500 Tampa volunteers helped 11 organizations, doing everything from working with Big Brothers Big Sisters’ children to sorting clothes at a battered women's shelter thrift shop to organizing food donations, to landscaping, painting and construction at various youth facilities.
Site President Steve Klovekorn said, “Working together with each other to make a positive impact on the community always leaves us feeling good, that was especially the feeling with the group I got to work with at the Hope Children’s Home.”
Volunteers hosted parties at the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital. “We visited 100 patients, many who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan,” said Ron DeRenzo. “We hosted card games, bingo tournaments, breakfast, lunch, presented gift bags, and ‘meet and greets’ with the soldiers.” Cathy Williams, the hospital’s chief of Recreation Therapy, said, “Thank you, Citi, for showing you care!”
Volunteers Honored at Kickoff
Gwinnett Daily Post, October 4, 2007
By Melissa Wilson
Great Days projects begin this weekend
Duluth – This year’s Great Days of Service kickoff began with food and mingling, but the real reason for the evening was soon clear.
Gwinnett Coalition of Health and Human Services Executive Director Ellen Gerstein said the purpose of the gathering Wednesday night at Wild Bill’s in Duluth was to recognize the sponsors and coordinators for this year’s program.
Barbara King, executive vice president of Primerica Financial Services, was awarded the Thomas James Corporate Involvement Award for her and Primerica’s multiple years of work with the coalition.
“I can’t think of any company and person that deserves this award more,” Gerstein said.
The recognition was a surprise to King who said she and Primerica have been supporting the coalition since its inception.
“I’m totally in shock, that’s for one thing,” King said. “It was a great pleasure for us when we got to the point where we could do great corporate citizenship. Gwinnett County has been very good to us, and we’re so glad we can be good to Gwinnett County.”
Susanne Thomas, a coalition steering committee member, was also recognized for her commitment.
She received the Above and Beyond Award for her work over the past six years and for her dedication to the program.
Thomas said she helped recruit and set up more than 50 of this year’s projects for Gwinnett Days of Service.
“I just do this because I love it,” Thomas, a retiree of the Coca‑Cola Co., said of her work.
Service projects begin this weekend throughout the county for the two‑day program filled with volunteer projects for nonprofit agencies and schools around the county.
Coalition Associate Director Nicole Love said anyone interested in volunteering or donating funds for Great Days of Service can visit www.gwinnettcoalition.org for more information.
EXCERPT Helping Hands
Topeka Capital-Journal, September 27, 2007
“I am writing to thank my fellow Topekans for helping me out in my time of need, and to convey what a wonderful experience I have had … A group of representatives from Primerica, led by Stephany Kuhlman … would be willing to help me out. This huge group of wonderful people came to my house and gave up their free time to help me out for an entire Saturday morning! They cleaned and organized my garage, fixed my door and performed many other duties that I was not able to do on my own, and I am so grateful.
“I just cannot say enough about my new friends.
“I want everyone to know that there are very kind and caring people who live right here in Topeka. God has blessed me and others in this community, to have special people who give up their time and energy to take care of each other. Thanks to Mayor Bunten, Keep America Beautiful and, most of all, the associates of Primerica. They made it possible for me to come home!”
Excerpt from a Letter to the Editor from Ardith Burgoon.
July at Imagine It!
The Weekly, June 27, 2007
Imagine It! The Children's Museum of Atlanta features hands-on learning and fun for children. Below is a schedule for the current featured exhibit as well as special programming that takes place at Imagine It! this July.
Current Exhibit
Can you tell me how to get to Sesame Street?
Now through September 9, 2007
If you love watching Sesame Street on television, imagine stepping right onto 123 Sesame Street. Children will get to experience what it’s like to be a part of the show! They’ll learn all about their ABCs and 123s as they skip through the familiar places, like Gina’s Day Care Center, Oscar’s Newsstand, and Bird Air Travel Agency. In the Hands-on Minds-on Playground, they can turn a crank to spin letters and discover new words, play with letters in the A-Z cubbyholes, count animals and objects hidden in the counting tree, and experiment with notes and scales on a set of steel drums. Kids can watch themselves on the screen as they interact with images of their favorite characters: count along with The Count, sing the alphabet with Elmo, and count in Spanish with Rosita. They can even put on their own puppet show! Adults will enjoy taking a trip down memory lane. As they make their way through the exhibit, visitors will learn about our nation’s history and how it furthered the development of Sesame Street from its beginning to the present.
Can You Tell Me How to Get to Sesame Street? is sponsored in Atlanta by Publix and Publix Super Markets Charities, Inc.; Sprint; Primerica, a member of Citigroup; The Imlay Foundation; and Bank of America. Can You Tell Me How to Get to Sesame Street? is produced by Strong National Museum of Play®, Rochester, New York, in collaboration with Sesame Workshop and is underwritten by Frontier, A Citizens Communications Company. Media sponsorship from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Georgia Public Broadcasting and Atlanta Magazine.
Kids to Get Board Games
Allen Howard
The Cincinnati Enquirer, December 19, 2006
The Ben-Gals, local businesspeople and celebrities will play Santa Claus and give more than $10,000 in gifts to about 500 children from the FreestoreFoodbank’s Kids Café program.
Board games, donated by Primerica Financial Services, will be distributed by Covington Mayor Butch Callery, Hamilton County Commissioner-elect David Pepper and U.S. Rep. Steve Chabot. The Ben-Gals will assist.
Callery will pass out gifts at 4 p.m. today at Covington Heights housing community, 2500 Todd Ave.
Pepper will play Santa Claus at 3:15 p.m. Wednesday at Evanston Recreation Center, 3204 Woodburn Ave. And Chabot will be at the Salvation Army, 3503 Warsaw Ave., Price Hill, at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Pat Lause, vice president of Primerica, said board games encourage family togetherness.
“Many of the children who come to Kids Café have siblings who also attend,” Lause said. “Each child will get two games, which they can share with their brothers and sisters to create fun family memories during this holiday season.”
Each week, the Kids Café program serves more than 1,000 meals to children from across Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. Meals are prepared and delivered for Kids Café sites by Cincinnati Cooks, also a FreestoreFoodbank program in which adult students from low-income households learn cooking, commercial kitchen operation and skills that prepare them for jobs.
Co-op gets big food donation from Primerica
Gwinnett Daily Post, September 7, 2006
Kay Whithear from the Lilburn Cooperative Ministry recently called to tell us about Primerica Financial Services' summer food drive, which brought in five pickup trucks full of food.
This year, the company decided to make their annual food drive for the co-op a competition between the departments, leading to their biggest drive yet, Whithear said. Summer is often a hard time for the county's cooperative ministries, which provide food, clothing and bill-paying assistance for local low-income families. The Lilburn co-op helps about 150 families per week.
"We're always short on food this time of year," Whithear said.
"That help has just made an amazing difference."
Imagining the “Pastabilities”
Gwinnett News, November 20, 2006
Copyright (c) 2006 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. All rights
reserved.
More than 100 area volunteers spent much of Saturday preparing meals for some 100 foster children and their families at Creekland Middle School.
The volunteers, from Citigroup and its affilliates, took to the school's kitchen on behalf of Foster Children's Foundation, a local non-profit that serves foster children and their families.
Primerica will present FCF with a $10,000 grant to fund a mentoring program called "Tomorrow Matters," geared toward middle- and high-school-age foster children.
Operation HOPE and Primerica Team Up for Kids
Citigroup World, March 9, 2006
Citigroup and Primerica believe that it's never too early to begin teaching children about the importance of money management. In the U.S., children between the ages of 8 and 14 control some 39 billion "shopping dollars." Add to that, college loans and other major debts accumulated as they head toward adulthood and too many young people end up with dangerously high debt levels before they even have a "real" job.
But there is hope – in this case, Operation HOPE and Primerica. In recognition of the volunteer efforts of Primerica employees, as well as to celebrate the advancements and progress in enhancing financial literacy in many local schools, Operation HOPE recently hosted an awards event at Kanoheda Elementary School in Atlanta, Georgia.
In 2005, Operation HOPE and Primerica volunteers helped over 400 Gwinnett
County students
successfully complete Operation HOPE's award-winning financial literacy
program, "Banking on the Future." Operation HOPE Chairman and
CEO John Bryant saluted the Primerica volunteer instructors for teaching
the participating students the importance of learning about basic financial
concepts.
Kanoheda Elementary Principal Terry Watlington said, "This program really opened the eyes of our student participants about the importance of learning how money works. I wish to thank the enthusiastic Primerica volunteers, and am extremely gratified to have the opportunity to work with them and John Bryant."
Founded in 1996, "Banking on our Future" is Operation HOPE's premier financial education program for youth in underserved communities, emphasizing the value of learning to manage money and plan their finances effectively. The innovative course takes a highly interactive approach to train students in four banking fundamentals, including: the Basics of Banking, Checking and Savings Accounts, the Power of Credit, and Basics Investments.
"Primerica has always taken an educational approach with our clients to show them how to improve their financial futures. That's why we're so gratified to team with Operation HOPE and help teach students in our community about the basic financial concepts that will help them better prepare to make sound financial decisions as they move forward with their education and careers," said Jeff Fendler, president and CEO, Primerica Life Insurance Company, and member of Operation HOPE's Board of Directors.
Added Sonya Hawkins, a Primerica volunteer instructor, "We all really enjoyed working with these great kids. You know the lesson has made a real impression when a 12-year-old tells you that the way compound interest works is 'cool.' Many times the students actually asked us to stay beyond the scheduled time to talk even more about personal finance concepts."
Citigroup and Operation HOPE share a commitment to financial education for young people. In 2005, Citigroup announced a $500,000 grant from the Citigroup Foundation to expand the "Banking on Our Future" program to reach 10,000 students in seven cities. In addition, Citigroup employees, such as those Primerica employees who have been working in Gwinnett County, volunteer as HOPE Corps banker-teachers to educate students about the basics of earning income, budgeting, saving, and investing.
Primerica and Citigroup's partnership with Operation HOPE is just another success story made possible by Citigroup's 10-year, $200 million commitment to financial education.
Primerica Volunteers Support Citigroup Global Community Day
Citigroup’s Inaugural “Global Community Day” Mobilizes over 25,000 Volunteers on more than 700 Projects in 400 cities across 100 Countries
Press Release, November 15, 2006
Primerica and other Atlanta-area Citigroup subsidiaries will be doing their share to contribute locally as part of Citigroup’s global effort. Primerica has chosen to volunteer to help the Foster Children’s Foundation, a local non-profit dedicated to serving the needs of foster children. Primerica employees will be hosting a special “Pasta-bilities” dinner for an anticipated 100 foster children and 70 foster parents.
This local employee volunteer project is part of Citigroup’s first “Global Community Day,” a worldwide effort involving more than 25,000 volunteers, along with family and friends, participating in over 700 projects in 400 cities across 100 countries. Recognizing that many Citigroup employees volunteer year-round in their communities, Global Community Day celebrates Citigroup’s volunteer spirit on one day around the globe. Local volunteer teams will be working on a variety of projects addressing specific community needs, including literacy, housing, environmental protection, nutrition, and health care.
“With more than 300,000 employees working in 100 countries, Citigroup is committed to mobilizing the enthusiasm and talents of our employees for community service,” said Charles Prince, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Citigroup. “Citigroup’s Global Community Day is a company-wide effort, with thousands of volunteers working in Asia Pacific, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and North America. This initiative certainly highlights the power and diversity of Citigroup’s employees and our company’s unwavering commitment to giving back to the communities in which we live and work,” said Prince.
Primerica, a Citigroup subsidiary, is located in Duluth and is the largest financial services marketing organization in North America. Primerica is Gwinnett County’s 5th largest employer, with 1,800 employees. Additional information may be found at Primerica.
Relay for Life fund-raising closes at record $2.4 million
KEN SUGIURA
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, September 2, 2006
Bake sales, raffles, carnivals and a 24-hour walkathon turned into another record-breaking year for the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life in Gwinnett County.
With the closing of its books on Thursday, the society tabulated $2.4 million, $150,000 more than its goal. No other Relay for Life in the world — and there are about 4,000 — raised more money.
"We just can't thank the community enough," said society area manager Randy Redner. "Nobody else does it like the Gwinnett community."
The Gwinnett relay, held May 12-13 at the Gwinnett County Fairgrounds in Lawrenceville, retained its title as the society's leading relay fund-raiser for the fifth straight year. The second-highest total raised was about $1.3 million, Redner said. In the Gwinnett relay's 13 years, it has raised $17 million.
The Gwinnett relay received its biggest contributions from two companies, Scientific-Atlanta and Primerica, and Norcross High School.
The three raised about $359,000.
Teams representing churches, schools, neighborhoods and companies used all means to raise money.
At Norcross, in addition to traditional letter-writing campaigns, students held a carnival, a carwash and collected change, among other things. Then-principal Mary Anne Charron offered teachers two weeks of casual dress if they donated a certain amount, which they did.
"Teachers, when they can wear jeans, are positive about anything," said Norcross teacher and relay team cocaptain Kirsten Mixter.
One teacher promised to shave her head if she received $2,000 in donations. She received $3,500, Mixter said.
Money raised by the American Cancer Society goes to research, education, services and public policy.
Relay for Life sees another record year
Shelley Mann
Gwinnett Daily Post, May 16, 2006
Collections break previous record
LAWRENCEVILLE — The results won't be final until August, but this year's Gwinnett Relay for Life fundraiser has already broken previous records.
As of Monday afternoon, the annual American Cancer Society fundraiser had brought in a total of $2,225,529, said American Cancer Society area director Randy Redner. That number already surpasses last year's final total of $2,217,000.
"We are expecting to hit $2.4 million," Redner said. "Any way we can measure it, we had a record year."
The goal for this year's fundraiser was $2.5 million.
In the past, an additional couple hundred thousand dollars has been raised in the months following the Relay event, Redner said. Many companies have vowed to match the funds raised by employees, and individual donors can still contribute money via the Gwinnett Relay for Life Web site through August.
More than 8,500 people signed up online for this year's Relay, held Friday and Saturday, at the Gwinnett County Fairgrounds. Past experience has shown that those registered participants sometimes bring along a friend or two, Redner said.
"We know we are well over 10,000 participants, but who knows how many for sure?" Redner said. "We're still calculating the number of survivors, but we are very close to the 2,000 survivor goal we set for ourselves."
Redner praised three teams specifically for their outstanding fundraising efforts. Scientific-Atlanta, for years a top team, brought in $120,000 — a $20,000 increase over last year's total. Primerica showed an even bigger jump; the company also raised $120,000, in contrast with the $65,000 raised last year. The two companies were named co-corporate champions Redner said.
"Between those two, we've never seen anything like that," he said.
And this year's top school Norcross High School, broke records again with its $112,000 donation.
To make a donation to Gwinnett's Relay for Life fundraiser, call the local American Cancer Society office at: 770-814-0123 or visit www.gwinnettrelayforIife.org.
Race for fund-raising honors boosts Relay for Life total
Ken Sugiura
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, May 18, 2006
Seeking donations for the American Cancer Society's biggest fund-raising event in the country is all noble and good.
Angling to be recognized as the biggest fund-raiser at the society's May 12-13 Relay for Life? It wouldn't be Gwinnett County if it were any different.
Pushed by the standout fund-raising of Norcross High School, Gwinnett-based companies Scientific-Atlanta and Primerica escalated their last-minute giving until they both promised donations of $120,000 each and were named co-corporate champions of last weekend's Relay for Life.
Their contributions were part of the $2.3 million to $2.4 million haul Gwinnett's American Cancer Society chapter expects to raise when the dust finally settles from the relay.
Most likely, the Gwinnett Relay for Life will retain its title as the top fund-raising relay in the country for a fifth consecutive year. The next biggest relay event in Georgia, in Cobb County, raised about $1 million.
"It was win, win, win," Gwinnett relay co-chairman Duane Downs said.
The competition for top honors within the county intensified this year when, for the first time, the society tracked donations online.
While the intent was to make donating easier, it also enabled relay members to easily monitor how other companies, schools, churches and friends were doing.
At the relay, in the wee hours at the Gwinnett County Fairgrounds, the Norcross High team tabulated its total as $108,000. It far surpassed the school's goal of $70,000. The students and teachers were elated; it was a tribute to Dorothy Lewis, a beloved math teacher who died in February after a long bout with cancer.
Aside from that, an idea hatched.
"The kids were thinking 'Maybe we'll beat Scientific-Atlanta,' " Norcross High teacher and relay team co-captain Kirsten Mixter said.
Word began to spread. Scientific-Atlanta's goal was $100,000. Primerica's was $50,000.
"I got visits during the night [Friday], wanting to know where the school was at [with its total]," American Cancer Society area manager Randy Redner said. "They'd heard rumors around the fairgrounds."
By Saturday morning, the competition had kicked into high gear. Primerica and Scientific-Atlanta team organizers kept tabs on each other through Redner. They called company executives to ask for more donations. Redner confirmed that an additional $8,000 was coming from Scientific-Atlanta through a cellphone recycling fund-raiser.
"It got to the point it became a bidding war," Primerica Executive Vice President Mark Supic said.
"Finally," Redner said, "we got them both together and said, `OK, let's call an end to the catfight and can we say you guys are tied?"'
Both committed to $120,000 and were declared co-winners.
"We were just incredibly elated," Supic said. "It involved a lot of hard work by a lot of employees here."
Norcross High, which last year was the only school in the country to raise more than $50,000, will likely retain its status as top fund-raising school in the country for the society. In post-relay giving — donations can be made through August at www. gwinnettrelayfor life.org — the total has reached $112,000.
Primerica and Scientific-Atlanta also will be among the top corporate givers nationwide.
At first, the Norcross students were crestfallen. They accused their fellow participants of cheating.
"I said, 'That's not cheating because we forced them to put about $10,000 [more] in the pot,"' Mixter said. "The kids were like 'Oh OK then!
"They thought that was all right."
Norcross High senior Nick Nonneman leads a chant with other students as they walk the trail during the Gwinnett Relay for Life on May 12. The school's team was called Hope Floats. Norcross' total has reached $112,000, making it likely it will retain its title as top fundraising school in the nation.
Primerica Workers Help Tsunami Relief
Maria Saporta
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, May 26, 2005
Employees at Duluth-based Primerica raised $150,000 to support the American Red Cross' tsunami relief efforts. Then Bobby Buisson, the company's senior national sales director, matched that donation with a $150,000 gift from his family foundation for the American Red Cross' disaster relief efforts.
Calling All Charity Volunteers
Robert White
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, October 18, 2004
Overhaul the overalls and gas up the pickup for Gwinnett's annual Great Days of Service. Gwinnett's countywide weekend of charity work will take place Friday and Saturday and the project is still in need of volunteers.
Great Days was first organized by the Gwinnett Coalition for Health and Human Services in 1999, and has grown larger each year since. Last year, more than 75,000 volunteers from corporations, schools, small businesses, Scout troops and church groups participated. In the past, volunteers have pitched in to clean senior adults' apartments, record books on tape for schoolchildren, paint a cheerful mural for clinic patients and stuff Christmas stockings for the needy. They helped more than 200 Gwinnett organizations.
Karen Fine of Primerica said her company became involved "because in those two days so much can be accomplished that would normally take a lot of time and effort to do."
For more information, please visit www.gwinnettgreatdaysofservice.org.
Primerica Donates to USO
Maria Saporta
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, November 27, 2003
"The USO Council of Georgia has something to be thankful for today. The two CEOs of Atlanta based Primerica — John Addison and Rick Williams — decided to make the USO the recipient of its November sales contest on the advice of their associate, retired Gen. Zeb Bradford.
"Primerica is donating $10 for every agent recruited into its business
through the end of the year, which spokesman Mark Supic estimates will
total 20,000 recruits, raising $200,000 for the USO. The USO is especially
busy now as it welcomes home troops who have been serving in the Persian
Gulf."
— Excerpted from The Atlanta Journal Constitution Business
page, November 27, 2003
Primerica Sponsors Great Days of Service
Gwinnett Daily Post, October 12, 2003
Primerica was recently a proud sponsor of Great Days of Service, a volunteer effort in Gwinnett County where the Home Office is located.
Primerica worked with the Gwinnett Coalition for Health and Human Services on the coalition's breakfast meeting and opening ceremonies for the Great Days of Service on October 24, 2003. Home Office employees also donated time to volunteer projects.
The Great Days of Service program offers volunteer help for non-profit organizations, many of them in the health-services field. There are more than 150 service projects awaiting the volunteers.
Primerica Participates in Clean Air Challenge
Gwinnett Daily Post, July 21, 2003
As part of Georgia's Clean Air Campaign, Primerica Home Office employees recently participated in the Clean Air Challenge.
The Clean Air Challenge is among the efforts under way to improve the region's air quality by reducing the number of autos on its traffic-choked roadways. Workers who participate pledge to surrender their solo drive, and instead utilize other commute options, including car or van pooling, teleworking, transit, biking or walking.
Through alternative modes of transportation, Primerica Home Office employees eliminated 5,124 vehicle miles traveled. Together with other companies in Gwinnett County, Primerica employees helped to trim a total of 25,503 vehicle miles from metro Atlanta roads.