Project Teamwork is
a non-profit outreach program that was established by SkyLine
employees
in 1997. It began when employees were allowed to dress
casually on Fridays. Each employee participating voluntarily donates $1 per
week.
In return, they receive a shirt or cap with the Project
Teamwork logo to wear on Fridays.
With the proceeds of this program, a committee of employees
takes requests from employees and the community to assist in
crisis-related relief to families across the service area and
to those area organizations that may not qualify for a corporate
donation. During the first few years of existence, this program
averaged over $2,000 in donations annually to 20 to 30 families/organizations,
with donations averaging $100 per request. In the past few years,
annual donations have quadrupled, along with the number of recipients
receiving a donation. Over the years, Project Teamwork has contributed thousands of dollars to hundreds of individuals and families who
have lost their home due to fire, experienced medical emergencies,
or lacked insurance when their health conditions failed.
A big boost to this fund came in late 2000, when the PT committee
developed a first-ever SkyLine Cookbook, reflecting recipes from
active and retired employees, directors and families. The cookbook,
which has 700 recipes, was warmly received across the region,
and all proceeds from this project benefit PT. In 2003, a second
cookbook was published in conjunction with the first one, filled
with additional recipes highlighting dishes for those “cooks
on the go”who don't have a lot of time for meal preparation.
Sales from both of these cookbooks have been instrumental in
supplying needed funds for the many requests that the committee
receives on a monthly basis.
In 2001, an additional fund raiser was born; a benefit motorcycle
ride that stemmed from the interest of SkyLine employees who
wanted to
raise money for a fellow employee, Tom Colvard, who had been
diagnosed at that time with amyloidosis, a rare disease in which
the body accumulate deposits of abnormal proteins which attack
major organs in the body. The employees wanted to do something
special for him that went above and beyond the average fundraiser
of bake sales and raffles. This first-ever ride resulted in donations
topping $4,000. Sadly, Tom passed away in 2002 after a long fight with
the disease.
The heartfelt efforts of this committee and its members have
tried to make a small difference in the lives of those affected.
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