November 29, 2016
Inspired by employees, Power Design exceeds goal for the American Heart Walk, a few months after new fitness facility opens on campus.
The 2016 Tampa Bay Heart Walk raised nearly $4,000,000 for the American Heart Association, $44,000 of which came from St. Petersburg-based Power Design, Inc.
Shelly Scamardo, Power Design’s Wellness Manager, attributes the success of this year’s efforts to a few key factors.
Supportive Leadership – Power Design kicked off fundraising efforts with a $10,000 sponsorship of the Tampa Bay Heart Walk after employees requested the company’s support. Project V5, a charitable program which raises funds by collecting scrap wire on Power Design jobsites and turning it in for cash, has been honoring employee-requested donations since 2008.
The kick-off and initial sponsorship came shortly after Power Design opened its new fitness facility and sport court, in effort to encourage a healthy work-life balance for its employees, offering classes and personal training. “The fitness center is a wonderful gift to Power Design employees,” said Scamardo at the grand opening in May. “The timing was perfect because the fitness center opening got people motivated and thinking about wellness a few months before the Heart Walk.”
Passionate Advocates – Between the employee Heart Walk captain volunteers, vendor supporters, and employees who were inspired by true survival stories from their peers, this year’s participation exceeded expectations. “We have some incredible personal stories here, such as one of our captains (Dave Hughes) surviving a triple bypass & heart attack. Another captain (Rick Peters) recently survived cardiac arrest with the help of his wife performing CPR,” explained Scamardo. “We also sadly lost an employee this year due to cardiac arrest, and these stories are what inspired so many to get involved.” Power Design had 170 employee participants led by 11 volunteer captains.
Make It Fun – In true Power Design fashion, the fundraising efforts leading up to the Heart Walk were nothing short of competitive in nature. The 11 teams set out to beat one another by soliciting for as many donations as possible, and even participating in “Money Wars” one day at the office. Each team received a jar to collect change that stood for both negative and positive points. The winning team with the highest points received an additional $500 contribution towards their team on behalf of Project V5.
We plan to do this every year. It raises awareness and inspires our employee population. A couple of employees are now exercising for the very first time because after attending the Heart Walk, they were inspired to stay active, know their numbers, and even learn CPR.
Shelly Scamardo
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