COOKEVILLE, Tenn. (April 21, 2012) — When it came time to celebrate 40 years of service, the associates of Averitt Express didn’t simply mark the occasion with a cake and balloons. In addition to recognizing the milestone with cookouts and “birthday” festivities, each of Averitt’s 150 locations throughout the South was challenged to accumulate 40 hours of community service in the Averitt 40 for 40 Community Challenge.
More than 1,200 Averitt associates participated in the program, providing a total of 3,600 hours of community service. Projects ranged from blood drives and fundraisers to work days at soup kitchens and performing lawn care for the elderly and disabled. Averitt associates are involved with charities, nonprofits and civic groups throughout the year, but the 40 for 40 Community Challenge offered associates the opportunity to honor the company’s 40-year history of service, giving and teamwork.
“The dedication our associates have to providing our customers with outstanding service spills over into their passion for making a difference in their communities,” said Richard King, Averitt’s vice president of operations. “The 40 for 40 Community Challenge was a great way to recognize Averitt’s 40 years of service by giving back to the community, as well as show our appreciation to our customers for giving us the opportunity to serve them.”
In total, more than 150 organizations were helped by Averitt associates during the 40 for 40 Community Challenge.
“Our associates went above and beyond expectations, and really showed what it means to be part of a team,” said King. “Working together on these different service projects reflected the focus we’ve put on teamwork since we began serving customers in 1971. It was humbling to see how our associates across the country stepped up to make a difference in the communities that have meant so much to us in the last four decades.”
Among the various community service projects spearheaded by Averitt associates across the country:
- Packaged and distributed brown bag meals for the homeless
- Built a retaining wall for a home for the developmentally challenged
- Held numerous blood and clothing drives
- Raised funds for several nonprofit organizations
- Assisted with Special Olympics events
- Conducted work days at Habitat for Humanity home builds
- Organized and distributed packages for food banks
