Twenty pints of blood were collected by the Sundt Foundation at its summer blood donation drive held at Sundt’s office in Tucson, Arizona yesterday. The blood was collected by the American Red Cross Southern Arizona Chapter and was sent to local hospitals to be used for emergencies and routine medical procedures. The Foundation also holds an annual holiday blood drive at each Sundt office, which last year netted 80 pints of blood.
“The Tucson summer blood drive was a big success,” said Sundt Foundation board member and Tucson area representative Randy Rusing. “Nineteen people donated all together – one from both arms! Three of the donors were subcontractors and family members of Sundt employees, and two were employees from neighboring businesses. The turnout and support show how much Sundt employees care about their communities and inspire others to do the same.”
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 funding grants every quarter, the Foundation also sponsors volunteer activities to benefit nonprofit organizations. The grant money comes primarily from contributions made by Sundt employees, which are matched dollar-for-dollar by the company.
Since its inception the Foundation has made grants totaling more than $6 million to hundreds of worthy organizations. Approximately 75 percent of the money goes to help disadvantaged children, with the remaining 25 percent dedicated to community issues. Employees can also earmark their donations for charitable organizations that benefit members of the military and their families.