At the heart of Averitt's unique company culture is a dedication to giving back to our communities. That's why Averitt Cares for Kids has donated almost $12 million to charities that improve and save the lives of children. Over $9 million has gone to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital to help understand, treat and defeat childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
Averitt Cares for Kids is a non-profit charitable giving organization funded by, and on behalf of, our associates. Averitt associates have the option to pull $1 from their paycheck each week and contribute it to Averitt Cares for Kids. More than 96% of our associates participate in the program, allowing us to contribute millions to a lifesaving mission.
Averitt also celebrates our associates by making contributions to St. Jude in honor of their accomplishments or community service as part of our Team Up Community Challenge program.
For two years in a row, Averitt Cares for Kids has presented a $1,000,001 donation to St. Jude, the extra $1 represents Averitt's "Power of One" mantra. In 2020, we donated another $53,420 by matching the 53,420 hours of community service our associates served.
"Danny Thomas [the founder of St. Jude] once said he'd much rather receive a dollar from one million people than receive one million dollars from one person -- that's what Averitt associates do," said Franny Kavin, director of employee engagement at St. Jude.
St. Jude treats children from around the world and their families never receive a bill for treatment, travel, housing or food. St. Jude has helped push the childhood cancer survival rate from 20% when the hospital opened to 80% today. So, we're proud to have been recognized the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Employee Giving Partner of the Year in 2020.
"This is what paying it forward, to me, is all about," Nashville Service Center Director Tony Brown said. "One of the most important pieces of work that we get done at Averitt Express is giving to St. Jude."
As we celebrate 50 years of service at Averitt, we're looking toward the future. Not just for our company, but for our communities as well. We're looking forward to a time when no child dies of cancer. In the meantime, Averitt Cares for Kids will continue to support St. Jude with the help of our outstanding associates.
To learn more about Averitt Cares for Kids, visit AverittExpress.com/AverittCares.