At the beginning of last year Train Signal’s Founder and President, Scott Skinger, implemented a new charitable contributions program for our company. Scott’s goal was to get the Train Signal team involved in giving back to our community and find a way for us to make a difference.
We decided to get involved in one large event each quarter, but it turned into much more than that. Train Signal team members have good hearts and the motivation to see things through!
2010 Avon Walk for Breast Cancer
In the first quarter of 2010 we sponsored a team in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. The team included ladies who are all survivors of cancer; they were excited to get our support and we were excited to have the chance to help. Plus they baked us cookies and had a mini photo-op with our Train Signal mascot, Captain Train Signal. Who can beat cookies, real survivor-heroes, and superheroes?
Salute, Inc. Got Freedom? Run and Walk
Also during the first quarter we were able to donate money to Salute, Inc. to help them buy laptop computers for US military veterans. Salute, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization that helps returning American veterans hampered by disabilities make it through daily life until they begin to receive their disability pay. Believe it or not, it often takes months before our disabled veterans receive any help from the government. We are honored to be able to help Salute purchase laptops for our veterans’ continuing education so that they may go on to do great things in their lives.
In May Train Signal once again teamed up with Salute, Inc. for the annual Got Freedom? run and walk which took place on Memorial Day weekend. We had t-shirts made and several of our employees and a few spouses showed up to either walk or run in the race, or hand out water bottles at the finish line. This event raised a lot of money to help Salute and we are proud to have been an event sponsor.
2010 MS Walk and Relay for Life
Later in the second quarter our Director of Operations, Sandy Moran, and our Director of Product Development, Gary Eimerman along with spouses and their dogs walked in the 2010 MS Walk at Harper College in Palatine, Illinois raising money for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Sandy and her daughter also slept outside and kept an all night vigil in the American Cancer Society Relay for Life event in Rolling Meadows, Illinois raising awareness and funds for cancer research.
And once again, we were able to donate a little more to Salute’s laptop program to top off the second quarter.
2010 CowaLUNGa
Quarter 3 kicked off big time with Train Signal’s Project+ training instructor, Bill Kulterman, and his nephew Keith, riding in a 3 day, 190 mile bicycle race for CowaLUNGa to help support lung health. Bill and Keith are both cyclists and were alive to tell about the adventure the day after the race ended. They are serious troopers! You can read more about Bill and Keith on the CowaLUNGa rider spotlight page.
Habitat for Humanity
In October, we gathered together a few hard working individuals to sponsor a Train Signal Habitat for Humanity renovation. It was dust, dirt, debris, and lots of nails — all for a good cause. Knowing we helped get a single mom and her children into a home is a great reward. You can read more about our Habitat for Humanity adventure and check out some photos of us working hard in this blog post.
Not to be outdone, four Train Signal team members entered into a golf tournament sponsored by Golden Tee and Splinter’s Bar and Grill for Salute, Inc to help raise funds for our veterans in need. I think they got the better end of the deal!
Salute Inc Christmas
The last quarter of 2010 was by far the most heart-warming as we were able to sponsor 5 military families’ Christmases, again through the help of Salute Inc. We received the names and addresses along with a short back story on 5 military families who had been hit by hardship and serious war injury. With returning service members who were disabled, these families had resigned themselves to not having a Christmas at all.
We were able to pry some information out of them about what they needed and wanted, and what was in their area (they were so humble it was hard to get any information out of them!). Then we went ahead and bought gift certificates and sent them to the families with best Holiday wishes from the Train Signal team. The 5 families we were able to help were very grateful and we were happy to lend a hand.
This was the best gift of all and the reason Train Signal decided to start getting involved in our community — we want to make a real difference in peoples’ lives, especially those who need our help, by sharing what we have with others.
2010 was a great year for helping others and we’re going to make 2011 even better. I hope you’ll join us in giving back and getting involved in any way you can.
We’ll keep you posted on what’s coming ahead as we kick of 2011 with more giving and more doing.
Discussion
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