WIKA’s headquarters in Lawrenceville, Georgia collected more than 300 new toys for children in Atlanta whose parents couldn’t afford to buy them Christmas presents.
It took two trips to deliver all the gifts that WIKA USA employees collected in the 2018 Toys for Tots drive.
For hundreds of children in Atlanta, their 2018 holidays were made a little brighter – thanks to WIKA’s commitment to corporate giving and the generous donations of its Lawrenceville employees.
All in all, they collected 342 dolls, blocks, balls, board games, puzzles and other fun goodies for North Atlanta Toys for Tots, part of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve’s foundation that holds this annual event. The donations from WIKA filled eight tall cardboard boxes in all.
Quality Department Recognized for Outstanding Corporate Giving
Special thanks go to Bernadette Biggs, Director of Quality, who drummed up friendly competition and resulted in 150 toys – almost half of the company’s entire collection – from her department of 27 employees. Approximately half of her team participated in the drive.
She said one of the division’s staff members spurred her to action. “Angela Brand mentioned that we should kick off a challenge to hopefully encourage more donations. We did this in the past and had good participation from different departments.” Bernadette specifically contacted Shipping, which collected the second-highest number of toys. Dana Cantrell, another Quality team member, kept a running count of the department’s donations, and Bernadette updated her group with regular progress reports from early to mid-December.
“I was very proud of my team for their collective donations, which helped make this a good Christmas for so many children,” she said.
The final toy tally by department:
- Quality: 150
- Shipping: 64
- Human Resources: 23
- BOM (Bill of Material): 22
- Diaphragm Seal: 5
Bernadette isn’t going to rest on her laurels, but is resolved to do even better for Christmas 2019. “Supporting the Toys for Tots program is a great way to experience the reward of giving,” she said, “and we will start the collection process much earlier next year!”
Ever since WIKA USA started participating in Toys for Tots four years ago, this corporate giving effort has brought joy to workers and children alike.
“I can just imagine the priceless smiles that these gifts brought to local children,” said Lisa Byard, Business Partner for Sales and WIKA’s Toys for Tots coordinator. “I’m proud to be part of an organization that participates in charitable events like this.”
The project was a huge success, and the children were overjoyed to receive their gifts. Many of the children had written letters to Santa Claus, sharing their hopes and dreams for Christmas. WIKA employees were able to fulfill many of those wishes, bringing smiles and laughter to the children’s faces. Your blog was beneficial; I learned a lot.
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