Truckers make million dollar donation to charity

In a time when many companies are financially “tightening their belts,” one carrier and its employees are opening their pocketbooks for a good cause.

For a third straight year, Cookeville, Tenn.-based Averitt Express is making over a million dollar donation to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. $1,050,001.00 to be exact. The company’s largest donation to date.

The sizable contribution was made possible due in part to Averitt Cares for Kids, the company’s charitable employee-giving program. Over 95% of Averitt employees participate in the program by donating $1 per week from their paychecks – and those dollars really add up. Since the program began in 1987, it has donated nearly $13 million to various children’s charities.

In addition to employee contributions, the company makes donations to the program in honor of associates’ accomplishments, life events, and participation in community service projects. This year Averitt Express contributed an additional $50 thousand in honor of the company’s 50th year in business.

“I continue to be amazed by our associates’ giving spirit and how they always rise to the occasion,” Gary Sasser, Averitt’s chairman and CEO, said in a news release. “For 50 years, our team has been committed to helping others and our partnership with St. Jude is an important way we do that.”

According to Averitt, the $1.5 million endowment will be used to help fund the initial construction of the St. Jude Leukemia and Lymphoma Clinic in the hospital.

Based in Memphis, Tenn., St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital’s mission is “to advance cures, and means of prevention for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment,” according to the charity’s website.

This marks the 28th year the company has donated to St Jude’s Children’s Hospital – and the third straight year they’ll donate over $1 million.

In addition to St. Jude’s, the Averitt Cares for Kids program also has given to the Special Olympics, Shriners Burn Institute, American Heart Association, Leukemia Society, American Red Cross, Juvenile Diabetes, and Ronald McDonald Houses. LL

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