MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ryder System, Inc. (NYSE: R), a leader in transportation and supply chain management solutions, is proud to announce it has met and surpassed its 2011 United Way Campaign goal, raising $236,338 in employee donations that will be added to a $275,000 Ryder Charitable Foundation gift for a total Ryder contribution of $511,338 to benefit the United Way of Miami-Dade. The amount raised by employees, an 8% increase from last year’s employee donations of $218,000, and the amount donated by the Ryder Charitable Foundation, a 10% increase from last year’s Foundation gift of $250,000, constitute Ryder’s largest contribution to date. These funds were recently raised during Ryder’s “Work, Play, and Give Together” campaign at the Company’s Global Headquarters in Miami. Led by Ryder Vice President and Deputy General Counsel Flora Perez, the campaign consisted of an event-filled week in November that included a Ryder “Top Chef” competition, an employee-organized garage sale, outdoor games and competitions, and employee tours of three United Way-sponsored organizations.
“A leading corporate citizen, Ryder and its employees have once again demonstrated their commitment to this community through their generous support of United Way,” said Harve A. Mogul, United Way of Miami-Dade president and CEO. “We applaud their leadership and appreciate their generosity.”
Ryder has supported the United Way of Miami-Dade for nearly four decades. Every year, a Company officer organizes a campaign at the Miami Headquarters that includes a week of fundraising activities and donations made through an online pledging portal. Donations made by Ryder’s leadership givers as well as from employees at all levels within the Company play a critical role in meeting the goal.
“Our purpose in creating a fun and educational drive each year is not just to give back, but also to raise awareness among our employees about the impact the United Way has on so many essential services in our community,” said 2011 Ryder Campaign Chair Flora Perez. “More than ever, our community relies on the resources and assistance provided by United Way partner organizations, particularly in the areas of health, education, financial stability, elder care, and at-risk youth. Our employees also appreciate the United Way’s ability to match contributions and maximize the impact of their donations,” she added.
In a video shown during the campaign, Ryder employees shared their reasons for their long-time support:
“The United Way allows you to have the broadest impact in the community,” explained Sanford Hodes, senior vice president and deputy general counsel for Ryder. “I have been blessed to have been helped in my life by various people along the way, and I want to make sure I can do that for others. I also think it’s important to set that example for my children,” he said.
Debbie Lashinsky, director of IT for Ryder, also explained her support. “One of the reasons I feel good about my involvement is that the United Way has set up a program that surveys all the needs in the community and addresses those needs in a very systematic, fair, and factual way that allows each of the participants in the United Way to receive the appropriate funding,” she said.
“It’s no different an instinct than if someone trips, you automatically reach out and help them,” said Sofia Samuels, director of Rental and Used Vehicle Marketing for Fleet Management Solutions. “So when you do have the ability to help, it’s really important to do that at whatever capacity you can. The United Way, with donations-in-kind and matches, can stretch those dollars even further to help more people,” she added.
In keeping with the “Work, Play, and Give Together” theme, the volunteer Campaign Committee organized a week’s worth of activities for employees that included the following:
- Ryder’s Top Chef Competition: This cooking competition attracted some of Ryder’s best amateur cooks, as well as hungry employees who paid to sample their culinary creations.
- Goodwill Band Performance & Resource Fair – The Goodwill Band helped to kick off the week of activities, while United Way partner organizations were invited to staff tables to discuss their services with employees.
- Agency Tours – Employees were invited to visit three United Way partner organizations to see how their dollars are put to work in the community.
- “Clean House” Yard Sale – Employees donated lightly used items from home for a fundraising garage sale at the Company’s Headquarters.
- Ryder Races & H-O-R-S-E Basketball Competition – Employee teams competed in a variety of activities, games and stunts.
- Lunch & Learns – Two United Way partner organizations were invited to host educational workshops to inform employees about their services.
For the campaign grand finale – and in the spirit of the campaign theme of “Work, Play and Give Together” – members of Ryder’s executive management and employees competed together in a friendly game of “Family Feud.” The game brought a successful week of fundraising to a close.
“We were pleased to be able to meet our goal and have a good time doing it,” said Ryder’s Chairman and CEO Greg Swienton. “This was our small way of sharing in the fun with our employees and saying ‘thank you’ to them for continuing to give.”
About Ryder
Ryder is a FORTUNE 500® commercial transportation, logistics and supply chain management solutions company. Ryder’s stock (NYSE:R) is a component of the Dow Jones Transportation Average and the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index. Inbound Logistics magazine has recognized Ryder as a top third party logistics provider and included Ryder in its 2011 and 2010 “Green Partners” listing. Ryder has also been ranked two years in a row as one of the top 250 U.S. companies in the Newsweek Green Rankings. In addition, Security Magazine has named Ryder one of the top companies for security practices in the transportation, logistics, supply chain, and warehousing sector. Ryder is a proud member of the American Red Cross Annual Disaster Giving Program, supporting national and local disaster preparedness and response efforts. For more information, visit www.ryder.com and follow us on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.
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