June 2008
Hunger Is Happening But We Made A Difference!
Campuses Across the Country Put Their Own Spin on the Summer Food Drive
University of Phoenix Salutes Our Soldiers
Apollo Employees Donate to the China Earthquake Relief Efforts
University of Phoenix Teams Up With the Kurt Warner Foundation
The University of Phoenix Supports the Arizona Valley Youth Theatre
Atlanta Campus Fights Breast Cancer
Oklahoma Campus Lights the Way
Hunger Is Happening But We Made A Difference!
A
food drive in the middle of the summer? Absolutely! While most food drives
occur during the holiday season, a great number of people seek
nourishment from food banks all year long. Unfortunately, the food
banks across our nation are faced with thousands of people to feed
and no food to feed them during the hot summer months. Apollo Group,
Inc. decided enough is enough and launched its first Company-Wide
Summer Food Drive on June 14 at the Summer Extravaganza in Phoenix.
Employees donated 1,668 pounds of non-perishable food items and
$47.00 in funds to purchase 329 meals, in just one day.
In total, 62 campuses, 19 online divisions, 20 corporate departments and 4 subsidiaries participated in the drive through June 27. Campuses went above and beyond to donate by investing time and energy into educating their staff members about hunger, donating other items of need to shelters and food depositories, and lending a hand at their local food banks. Participating locations donated over 42,000 items in two weeks! The top three donating campuses with the highest average number of donations per employee were the Des Moines Campus (41 items/employee), New Mexico Campus (Albuquerque) (56.3 items/employee) and the Northern Nevada Campus (71.7 items/employee).
By the end of the two-week drive, Apollo Group, Inc. donated over 56,000 items to food banks across the country!
Campuses Across the Country Put Their Own Spin on the Summer Food Drive
To learn more about campus involvement, read the stories below.
California
The San Diego Campus offered five free print jobs for every item
donated at a few of their centers.
The Central Valley Campus used a red wagon to collect food. Staff members walked through the campus with the red wagon and piled it high with donations.
Chicago
The Chicago Campuses used frequent update emails to staff to keep
everyone motivated to donate food. The campus tracked donations at
individual locations and recognized top donators throughout the
drive to inspire others to give.
Cheyenne
The Cheyenne Campus hung their donation box in their EC office to
serve as a reminder to donate.
Colorado
The Denver Campus collected donations in empty kid’s swimming pools
and entered their employees in a raffle for every item donated. The
raffle included great prizes, like tickets to a Rockies baseball
game.
The Southern Colorado Campus helped sort and pack food at the Care and Share Food Bank.
Columbus, Georgia
The Columbus, GA Campus came up with the “I Think I ‘CAN’” campaign
to motivate their staff to donate. Taking inspiration from “The
Little Engine that Could,” the Columbus campus reminded staff that
by pushing yourself, you can be successful at anything.
Houston
The Houston Campus didn’t just donate food items. Staff members
visited their local food bank and helped employees pack 1,008 boxes
of food! It was a great opportunity to go the extra mile and get to
know coworkers.
Idaho
The Idaho Campus was recognized in local media outlets for their
outstanding work with the Company-Wide Summer Food Drive.
Kansas City
Kansas City Campus extended their drive to allow students to
participate. This was a bonus for their food bank.
Memphis
The Memphis Campus “Hit a Homerun for Hunger.” They used a baseball
theme to motivate and encourage their employees to donate. And they
had a lot of fun doing it!
Michigan
The Metro-Detroit Campuses had a healthy competition between
departments to see who could collect the most items. They worked as
a team and showed great support to this cause.
Nevada
The Northern Nevada Campus had great leadership from Ashley Penkal,
who used her contacts at a local grocery store to use donated
grocery carts to hold the food items. She inspired her co-workers to
go above and beyond the call of duty. Her campus director calls her
an employee “that makes the workplace and her community a better
place to be.”
Richmond
Even with the knowledge that the deadline for incentives was June
27th, the Richmond, Virginia campus extended their drive through
July 4th in order to maximize the amount of food they could provide
for the community. They also collected cash donations and personal
care items for a local charity.
South Florida
The South Florida Campus collected women's clothing, five water
bottles, and a backpack/cooler in addition to food items.
St. Louis
The St. Louis Campus created a competition amongst staff members in
order to increase donations. The individuals who donated the most
items won special prizes and recognition.
Texas
The San Antonio Campus used the motto “Fighting Hunger Feeding Hope”
throughout their food drive. Employees learned about hunger and
their local food bank through a program called Hunger 101.
Utah
The Utah campus created “Throw Down Thursday” to increase their food
drive donations. On Thursday, June 19th the campus held a
competition between departments to see who could achieve the highest
total food item count on items brought in on that day.
Thank you to all of the participating locations!
Participating Food Banks
Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma | Atlanta Food Bank | Maryland Food Bank | Cleveland Food Bank | Paso del Norte Food Bank | Second Harvest Gleaners Food Bank of West Michigan | Harvest Hope | Banco de Alimentos de Puerto Rico | Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida | Three Square | Philabundance | Second Harvest Food Bank | Care and Share | Capitol Area Food Bank | COMEA House | Canning Hunger | Idaho Food Bank | Second Harvest Food Bank of Wisconsin | The Cooperative Feeding Program | The Food Bank of Northwest Indiana | Second Harvest Food Bank, Madison WI | Second Harvest | Gleaners Food Bank | STEP - St. Louis Park Emergency Program | Norwalk Emergency Center | Capitol Area Food Bank | Harvesters | Food Life Line of Seattle | Food Bank of the Rockies | Dare to Care | Worcester County Food Bank and The Greater Boston Food Bank | Hawaii Food Bank | Ozarks Food Harvest | Sacramento Food Bank | Fresno Community Food Bank and The Kern County Food Bank | Mid-Ohio Food Bank | Second Harvest | The Watershed | Gleaners Food Bank | Operation Food Search | Food Bank of the Mid-South | Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina | Central Virginia Food Bank | Kansas Food Bank | America's Second Harvest | Houston Food Bank | Northwest Food Bank of Louisiana | Northwest Arkansas Food Bank | The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank | Eastern Oklahoma Community Food Bank | Golden Harvest Food Bank | Utah Food Bank Services | Greater Chicago Food Depository | Second Harvest Food Bank | America's Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia, Inc. | San Antonio Food Bank | United Way Food Bank of Birmingham | Horizons | Road Runner Food Bank: Albuquerque, NM | Food Bank of Northern Nevada | St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance
University of Phoenix Salutes Our Soldiers
Each Memorial Day, we pay respect to the brave soldiers who
sacrificed their lives to protect and serve our country. In May,
2008, University of Phoenix invited employees company-wide to
participate in wristband sale and support the Salute a Soldier
Foundation, an Arizona based non-profit organization dedicated to
increasing community awareness while providing for the financial,
emotional and spiritual assistance to those who have served our
country.
From May 19 through May 23, University of Phoenix employees purchased the special camouflage wristbands for $5 each. 100% of the proceeds went directly to the Salute a Soldier Foundation, which was founded by SSG Brent N. Bretz, US Army Sniper, who was severely injured while on the front lines in Iraq. University of Phoenix’s involvement with the Salute a Soldier Foundation is a result of the Severely Injured Veterans Scholarship Program. This program provides scholarships to Arizona’s veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan who meet scholarship qualifications. To date, two scholarships have been awarded.
In just one week, the company sold over 9,000 wristbands and raised over $46,000 in donations for the Salute a Soldier Foundation. University of Phoenix is proud to observe Memorial Day and salute our Soldiers who served!
Apollo Employees Donate to the China Earthquake Relief Efforts
On May 12, 2008, China’s city of Chengdu was changed forever. A 7.9-magnitude earthquake resonated through southwest China and dramatically affected Phoenix’s sister city. In response to this horrific event, from May 29 through June 16, the Apollo Group of companies, its management and employees teamed together to donate to the Red Cross’s episodic disaster fund to benefit those affected.
Apollo donated $75,000 to the Red Cross and pledged to employees they would match every dollar employees raised, up to $25,000. For two weeks, employees from across the country donated to the relief effort. The company goal was to contribute $125,000 to the relief fund and Apollo surpassed it! Employees donated $25,219 to China’s Earthquake relief fund, bringing the Apollo donation total to $125,219.
University of Phoenix Teams Up With the Kurt Warner Foundation
On Saturday, May 25, 2008, the University of Phoenix was proud
to be a sponsor of An Evening with Champions in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Hosted by Kurt Warner and special guest Masters Champion Zach
Johnson, it was a night to be remembered benefiting the Kurt Warner
First Things First Foundation. Kurt Warner and Zach Johnson spent
the evening sharing their personal stories of overcoming challenges,
setting goals, and achieving their dreams. Employees from the Des
Moines campus were in attendance to represent the University of
Phoenix.
The Kurt Warner Foundation is dedicated to impacting lives by providing opportunities to encourage individuals that all things are possible when you seek to put first things first. Kurt Warner, quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals, founded The First Things First Foundation in 2001 to give back. In an effort to create a continued partnership, The Kurt Warner First Things First Foundation and the University of Phoenix have teamed up to create the First Things First Scholarship Program. The Foundation believes that “everyone needs an opportunity,” and seeks to provide deserving individuals with the opportunity to receive and education and thus, prepare themselves for a better future.
The University of Phoenix is setting an example by putting first things first and creating opportunities for underserved individuals to pursue their dreams of higher education.
The University of Phoenix Supports the Arizona Valley Youth Theatre
Through
19 seasons, Arizona’s Valley Youth Theatre has strived to provide
children with the discovery of a lasting interest in and
appreciation for the arts, and the inspiration to be the very best
they can be. As the Valley Youth Theatre kicked off it’s 20th
anniversary season this year, in June, 2008, University of Phoenix
proudly sponsored “The Most VYTal Event of the Season 2008”. The event
signifies the start of the theatre’s 20th season, with a special
performance of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella at Phoenix’s Herberger Theater Center. The 20th season includes performances of
Aida, Treasure Island, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Seussical the
Musical, and more.
Founded in 1989, the Valley Youth Theatre has been making a positive impact in children’s lives one child at a time. The Valley Youth Theatre provides education and outreach programs for nearly 5,000 disadvantaged and at-risk young people each season. The University of Phoenix is a proud sponsor of the Valley Youth Theatre’s 20th anniversary season, which promises to be one that inspires, captivates, and educates audiences throughout the year.
Atlanta Campus Fights Breast Cancer
The Atlanta, Georgia campus of the University of Phoenix is doing their part to join the fight against breast cancer. The campus sold tickets to their June 29, 2008 commencement ceremony to generate a donation to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation. The foundation strives to be the voice of the global breast cancer movement through being the world’s largest network of breast cancer survivors and activists. The Atlanta campus raised $15,000 through the ticket sales to donate to the foundation in the hopes of assisting in the battle against breast cancer. It is ideas and events like these that make a difference and motivate others in the community to come up with creative ways to help others.
Oklahoma Campus Lights the Way
The Oklahoma campuses of the University of Phoenix received a special honor this month when they were nominated as a finalist for the Journal Record’s Beacon Awards. The Beacon Awards recognize businesses and organizations that are “Lighting the Way” in Oklahoma through giving back to the communities that support them. Honorees will be featured in the first annual Beacon Awards magazine and will be recognized at an awards dinner on July 10th in Oklahoma City. The University of Phoenix in Oklahoma is a finalist in the philanthropic impact category, which recognizes organizations that have made significant charitable contributions to groups or individuals in need in the community. The Oklahoma campuses partner with the Oklahoma Department of Human Services for “Open Your Hearts to Newborns in Need,” which collects and distributes infant necessities to needy families across the nation. The program touches the lives of the more than 19,000 babies in Oklahoma alone that do not have life’s basic necessities. The University of Phoenix in Oklahoma inspires campuses nationwide to light the way for those in need in our communities.