Published 05-13-09
Submitted by United Way of America
ALEXANDRIA, VA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 05/13/09 -- In some of the darkest economic times our country has seen, companies and their employees are stepping up to give and volunteer more to help strengthen local communities. To recognize those efforts, United Way today presented the 2009 United Way Spirit of America(R) award to Eli Lilly and Company, the first Indiana company to win United Way's highest national award. General Mills, Inc., Kellogg Company, Wells
Fargo and Williams received Summit awards.
"In these challenging times, it's more important than ever to have generous partners like Lilly who are committed to strengthening our nation's communities," said Brian Gallagher, president and CEO of United Way. "Whether it's serving as a ReadUP tutor or donating lifesaving medicines, Lilly and its employees understand that improving lives in this environment requires resources coupled with active and dedicated volunteers. United Way is proud to honor them with our highest national award."
In 2008, Lilly and its employees gave $11.4 million, representing 20% of their charitable cash donations, to United Way to help strengthen local communities. For more than 35 years, Lilly has provided nearly 25% of United Way of Central Indiana's annual campaign.
Lilly shares United Way's philanthropic priorities: to improve education and educational opportunities, promote financial stability for families and communities, and improve people's health. In 2008, Lilly donated $300 million in life-saving medicines worldwide. Lilly committed over $17 million for diabetes education around the world, including 800,000 insulin vials to help children in sub-Saharan Africa, plus donated $4.4 million in its continued fight to eliminate multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.
In addition to volunteering more than 160,000 hours last year, during
Lilly's first Global Day of Service, 22,000 Lilly employees volunteered in more than 55 countries making it one of the largest, single-day, volunteer initiatives of a U.S. company. Additionally, Lilly employees provided over 21,000 school supplies through United Way of Central Indiana's backpack attack and recruited more than 600 employees as ReadUP tutors for fourth and fifth grade students. Employees also donated an estimated 5,000 volunteer hours of skills-based Six Sigma expertise to help increase nonprofit efficiency, plus sales employees supported their home communities by volunteering in areas of need.
"Giving to the community and lending a hand to others are part of Lilly's heritage. It's amazing to see our employees today embrace these same values as fervently as our founders did," says John Lechleiter, Ph.D., chairman and chief executive officer, Eli Lilly and Company. "Receiving the United Way Spirit of America Award is a tremendous honor; yet the greatest honor remains in witnessing the large and small differences in the lives of others: families and elderly receiving needed medicines and treatments, a child mastering reading, a homeless person become self-sufficient -- the opportunity to be a small part of something so important is really what drives our employees to be active in local neighborhoods and communities."
In addition to the 2009 Spirit of America Award, United Way presented four other companies with Summit Awards for exceptional community efforts:
About United Way
United Way is a global network in 47 countries and territories, including nearly 1,300 local organizations in the U.S. that advance the common good, creating opportunities for a better life for all by focusing on the three key building blocks of education, income and health. The United Way movement creates long lasting community change by addressing the underlying causes of problems that prevent progress in these areas. LIVE UNITED is a call to action for everyone to become part of the change. For more information about United Way, please visit: LIVEUNITED.org
About Eli Lilly and Company
Lilly, a leading innovation-driven corporation, is developing a growing portfolio of first-in-class and best-in-class pharmaceutical products by applying the latest research from its own worldwide laboratories and from collaborations with eminent scientific organizations. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind., Lilly provides answers -- through medicines and information -- for some of the world's most urgent medical needs. Additional information about Lilly is available at www.lilly.com.
United Way of America is the national organization dedicated to leading the United Way movement in making a measurable impact in every community across America by focusing on the root causes of the most serious problems. The United Way movement includes approximately 1,400 community-based United Way organizations. Each is independent, separately incorporated, and governed by local volunteers.
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