The Soft Pitch

Seems I’m frequently writing in this blog about Avnet employees getting involved in the community.  Probably because it happens around here so much, it’s not really “hard news,” and dang it, it’s important!  At the end of the day, people matter more than things or money.  In my family, we try to always keep that in focus – so when my daughter busted a china plate the other day, I just shrugged. My husband shouted “Touch Down!” and my daughter? She got out the vacuum cleaner.

Why do I mention this?  It’s a value I see across all of Avnet.  Yes, we’re here to grow the business, return value to our customers, suppliers and shareholders.  But we’re still people who care about people.

So two things to share – why is there a ceiling-high wire bin by our employee cafeteria filled to the brim with pillows, blankets and sheets?  Because our local Arizona chapter of Avnet Cares partnered with Bridging Arizona Furniture Bank and IKEA for a pillow drive.  The goal is to make sure no kid is sleeping on the floor – and we can help by donating bedding, and boy did we in a big way!  When this is over, it looks like donations from our 5 Phoenix facilities will total up to a few hundred pillows!

19-time Blood Donor Ryan and Family

Then there’s this – several times a year the United Services Bloodmobile shows up in an Avnet parking lot and employees trot out, expose their veins, give blood and then drink orange juice.  Here’s the cool part: one of our employees, Shawn Ryan has just been announced as the winner of a 2009 Saturn through the United Blood Services “Drive Away a Hero”  campaign!  Nearly 55,000 blood donors between June 1 and August 31 were automatically entered to win during the campaign to increase summer blood donations.  The eight finalists drawn throughout the campaign gathered yesterday for the Grand Prize Ceremony at United Blood Services headquarters in Scottsdale.  Each finalist was awarded a key to try their luck in one of eight new Saturns at the event.  Ryan was the blood donor who drove away the proud winner of a 2009 Saturn Aura and a hero to Arizona hospital patients.

 Ryan garnered his spot in United Blood Services Saturn Grand Prize Ceremony when he donated at the Avnet Chandler blood drive on August 6.  His commitment has grown with each of his 19 donations on record with United Blood Services.  “My mom always told me I had a gift to share,” Ryan said after he learned he was the universal donor with type O-negative blood.  It became even more personal for him about five years ago when his child required a blood transfusion.  Reflecting on that time in his life, Ryan was prompted to select case number “5” in the Grand Prize Ceremony, which secretly contained the winning key to the Saturn labeled “O-negative.”  “As soon as I saw the cars with the different blood types on them, I was hoping to get the O-negative car,” Ryan said.  He was cheered on by his wife Gioia and kids, Liam and Olive.

 It’s all about the people!

Trackback URI | Comments RSS