Community Service (2002)

2002-03 Corporate Charity: The Make-A-Wish Foundation

Making Wishes Come True—Since April 2002, KCI’s employee-owners have raised more than $13,100 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

BRMH “Volunteer Group of the Month”—In August, the Baltimore Ronald McDonald House (BRMH) honored KCI employees from the Hunt Valley, MD, Office, as “Volunteer Group of the Month” for their monthly meal program. The recognition included a certificate of appreciation, thank you letter, and feature in the BRMH newsletter.  KCI supported BRMH as its corporate charity during 2001-2002, raising more than $18,000 to provide a “home-away-from-home” for families of seriously ill children receiving treatment at nearby hospitals.  When KCI selected the Chesapeake Bay Foundation as its new charity for 2002-03, employees who had volunteered with the meal program decided to continue their efforts, preparing and serving one dinner per month for house residents.   More than 30 employees have participated in the program.   

KCI Raises $2,800 to Fight Lou Gehrig’s Disease—On June 9th, KCI’s Stacey Hostetler (Harrisburg, PA, Office) and husband, Justin, joined more than 800 walkers in the second annual Walk to D’Feet ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease—an incurable, progressive neuromuscular disorder that slowly paralyzes and kills its victims).  The walk, held on City Island in Harrisburg, PA, benefited the Greater Philadelphia Chapter of the ALS Association.  $150,000 in donations will help fund patient & family services and cutting-edge scientific research at the ALS Clinic at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.  Stacey and Justin raised $2,300 and KCI donated another $500 to honor Justin’s father, Dave, who was diagnosed with the disease in December.

KCI Engineering Technician Elected to Serve on County Board of Education—This Spring, Philip E. Bonner, an associate engineering technician in KCI’s Morgantown, WV, Office was elected to the Grant County Board of Education for a four-year term. In his home town of Mount Storm, WV, Phil has served on a school improvement council and is a pastor in a small church.

Engineer-in-Training Clowns Around Teaching Fire Safety to Kids—KCI’s

Mandy Cody of the Hunt Valley, Maryland, Structures Division, photographed here in costume as “Squirt”, taught fire safety to kids on Sunday, May 19th, during the Owings Mills Volunteer Fire Company’s Safety Day and Open House.  A seven-year member of the Jacksonville Volunteer Fire Company, Mandy serves as a firefighter and emergency medical technician.  After teaching fire safety and first aid classes to cub scouts and church groups, she decided that she could make a greater impact with children dressed as a clown and attended a week-long seminar to learn clown make-up, magic tricks, songs, and dances.  As Squirt, Mandy participates in fire safety demonstrations several times a year in Maryland’s fire companies, preschools, and elementary schools.

Seventh Graders Learn About Bridge Design On-Site in KCI’s Hunt Valley Structures Division—On March 6, 2002, 15 seventh graders from St. Paul’s School in Brooklandville, MD, visited KCI’s Hunt Valley, MD, headquarters to learn about bridge design for a school project that required the students to construct bridges using toothpicks.  President, CEO, and Chairman Terry Neimeyer and Vice President Steve Carl (Structures Division Chief) explained design fundamentals and led the students on a tour of the Structures Division.  Students had the opportunity to talk with engineers at their work stations and to see firsthand the tools and techniques used by designers. 

Partnering with Educators to Prepare Students for Careers in Engineering & Science—In February 2002, 17 elementary, middle, and high school teachers visited KCI’s Hunt Valley, Maryland, headquarters as part of the Baltimore County Public Schools Teacher In-Service Program.  The program fosters communication and builds partnerships among educators and business leaders seeking to improve students’ chances of transitioning from the classroom to meaningful careers.  

KCI Senior Vice Presidents Harvey Floyd(Transportation Market Manager, Mid-Atlantic Region), Chris Griffith (Construction Market Manager, Mid-Atlantic Region), and Chuck Phillips (Site/Buildings/Telecommunications Market Manager, Mid-Atlantic Region) joined senior associates Jim Driggers (Controller) and Laura Johnston (Corporate Communications Director) in sharing professional insights.  The group outlined the skills necessary for candidates aspiring to careers in Engineering, Environmental Planning, Construction Management, Site Development, Finance, and Corporate Communications and guided the teachers on a tour of KCI’s Hunt Valley facilities.  KCI has hosted the Teacher In-Service group for five consecutive years.

KCI Helps Raise $3,400 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in Walt Disney World Marathon—Teresa Scherer, wife of KCI draftsman Adam Scherer (Laurel, MD, Office), collected $3,400 in sponsorships for her participation in the 2002 Walt Disney World Marathon, benefiting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society—a national voluntary health agency dedicated to curing leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease, and myeloma, and to improving the quality of life for patients and their families.  Many of Adam’s coworkers in the Laurel Office supported Terri’s effort.

Adam traveled to Orlando, Florida, to cheer on Terri (pictured above, left, on Main Street in Disney’s Magic Kingdom), who was inspired to walk the January 6, 2002 half-marathon by Adam’s struggle with lymphoma.  Thankfully, Adam is now in remission.

 

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