More than 80 pints of blood were collected by the Sundt Foundation at its first annual holiday blood donation drive. The company-wide event was held in mid-December in each of Sundt’s offices –Tempe/Phoenix, Tucson, San Diego, Sacramento and San Antonio/El Paso. The blood was sent to local hospitals to be used for emergencies and certain routine medical procedures.
“Our first annual company-wide blood drive was a big success,” said Sundt Foundation President Tom Crohurst. “We have held blood drives many times in individual offices, but never in one coordinated effort. Thanks to the Red Cross and other blood donation services, which set up and staffed an on-site donation center in each of our offices, it was easy and convenient for Sundt’s employees to participate. We expect to see participation increase in the future because donating this way is so easy, and the need is great.”
A drawing for two $50 gift cards was held for participants in each area. It was open to all donors—not just employees—and in the San Antonio office, one of the cards was won by a person who works for the building’s janitorial company who had participated in the Sundt blood drive. The Tucson office had the highest participation (by percentage of employees), and therefore had a drawing amongst donors for an iPad mini. It was won by one of the office’s IT employees, who said it was the nicest thing that happened to him all year.
The Sundt Foundation was established in 1999 by Sundt Construction, Inc., as a way for its employee-owners to give back to the communities in which they work. In addition to sponsoring volunteer activities, the Foundation distributes grants every quarter. The money to fund those grants is raised primarily through contributions from Sundt employees, which are then matched dollar-for-dollar by the company.
Since its inception the Foundation has made grants totaling more than $5 million to hundreds of worthy organizations. Approximately 75 percent of the money goes to disadvantaged children’s issues, with the remaining 25 percent dedicated to community issues. Most grants are awarded in communities where Sundt has an established office or major project underway. Employees can also earmark their donations for charitable organizations that benefit members of the military and their families.