Ashley Morrison & Whitnay White, masterminds behind Primus’s first corporate giving event!
Corporate citizenship and social responsibility are defined as a “commitment by an organization to balance financial performance with contributions to the quality of life of their employees, the local community and society at large (www.shrm.org).” Research suggests that demonstrating corporate citizenship and social responsibility benefits not just the charity; it improves employee engagement and generates a feeling of good will about the giver.
When Primus’s Human Resources & Payroll Manager Ashley Morrison took a look at our corporate giving history, she got inspired. “Primus is a very generous company,” she said. “And we’re very family-oriented. I thought it would be interesting to establish a long-term relationship with a charity that we could contribute to year after year; a group that we would essentially make part of the Primus family.”
Ashley began by polling Primus employees and asking what causes they’d enjoy working with most. The top areas of interest were the military, children, the environment, animals and health and wellness. Next, Ashley researched local charities and found a cause that combined two of the top five: the military and animals.
Primus is pleased to announce that the charity we have selected to establish a long-term relationship with is Pets for Vets (www.pets-for-vets.com)! Pets for Vets is a non-profit committed to supporting military veterans as they transition to life at home after deployment. They pair a returning soldier with a shelter animal that is specially selected to match the veteran’s personality. Professional animal trainers rehabilitate the shelter animals and teach them good manners to fit into the veteran’s lifestyle. Training can also include desensitization to wheel chairs or crutches as well as recognizing panic or anxiety disorder behaviors.
The next step was determining what kind of fundraising opportunity could most effectively raise awareness and money for the cause. Ashley decided an all-out BBQ bash would be an excellent way to raise money and bring attention to Pets for Vets. The event will be held June 26th on the Primus campus.
Pulling off an event like this takes the talent of an experienced party coordinator with connections to local businesses and vendors. Ashley tapped the skills of Primus Project Administrator Whitnay White who is a wiz at party planning and seems to know just about every party vendor in Northern Georgia!
“My mom is the National Volunteer Specialist, Community Involvement at Insperity, so it’s in my blood,” said Whitnay. “Plus, it’s a party for a good cause, so I’m really enjoying it. Things have gone smoothly so far. People are very willing to help.”
Together, this dynamic duo has put in place activities that will make this an event to remember! The price of admission includes lunch, a charity event cup and a t-shirt. There will be music, a corn hole tournament, a dunk tank, raffles and more! Raffle prizes include tickets to sporting events and gift certificates to local restaurants, spas and car service shops. There may even be a visit from some of the shelter animal candidates!
All proceeds will be donated to the Pets for Vets Georgia Chapter. A donation of $1000 pays for one dog to be placed with a veteran. Primus expects to meet that goal with just admission sales. Additional funds raised by the raffles, dunk tank and other activities will also be donated.
“Ashley and Whitnay have done an excellent job putting this event together. It’s our first effort, and we’re looking forward to making future events even bigger and better,” said Erik Gunderson, Executive Vice President and Founding Partner at Primus.
Stay tuned for pics of the event!