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AVERITT CARES FOR KIDS

 

HISTORY

 

Averitt Cares for Kids is a non-profit charitable giving organization funded by and on behalf of our associates. For more than three decades, Averitt associates have touched the lives of the less fortunate through this program.

WHAT IS THE MISSION OF AVERITT CARES FOR KIDS?

The mission of Averitt Cares for Kids is to give back to our communities and help make a difference in the lives of others. In an effort to focus entirely on children, we updated the name of the program in 2007 from “Averitt Cares” to “Averitt Cares for Kids.” In doing so, we pledged that all future contributions will benefit causes that improve and save the lives of children, including St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

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HOW IS THE PROGRAM FUNDED?

The organization is funded through associate contributions, as well as through company contributions made in recognition of associates' accomplishments, participation in Team Up Community Challenge projects, and life events. Associates elect to have $1 per week contributions deducted from their payroll on a weekly basis. More than 96% of our associates participate in the program.

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HOW DID AVERITT CARES FOR KIDS GET STARTED?

The program roots date back to 1985 when Averitt’s associates decided they wanted to give something back to the company in a tangible way. They decided to purchase a new trailer and presented it to Averitt Chairman and CEO Gary Sasser as their gift of thanks. The project generated so much pride and enthusiasm that associates decided to embark on a similar project the following year. This time, Gary recommended instead that associates use their contributions to give to the less fortunate. The result was the formation of Averitt Express Associate Charities, now known as Averitt Cares for Kids.

At the time the program was formed, it was one of the first associate-funded, charitable-giving organizations of its kind. Upon its introduction, it was profiled on the front page of The Wall Street Journal.

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WHAT IMPACT HAS AVERITT CARES FOR KIDS MADE SINCE ITS INCEPTION?

Since 1986, Averitt Cares for Kids has donated more than $14 million to charities. > See Averitt Cares for Kids giving through the years

 

WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AVERITT CARES FOR KIDS AND ST. JUDE?

Since 1990, Averitt Cares for Kids" contributions have been designated by Averitt associates to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. St. Jude is the leader in research, treatment and cure for catastrophic childhood disease, helping children and their families throughout the world.

In 1997, Averitt Cares for Kids announced a $1.5 million endowment to fund a leukemia and lymphoma clinic at the hospital, That clinic is now known as the Averitt Express Leukemia and Lymphoma Clinic. Hundreds of patients visit the clinic every day.

We’re proud to say St. Jude's has named Averitt Cares for Kids an Employee-Giving Organization of the Year on several occasions, including 1999, 2010, and 2020.

Averitt Cares for Kids' contribution of $1,200,001 to St. Jude in 2022 was our largest contribution in the program's history and was also the largest employee-generated contribution ever for the hospital.

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