The Mark Andy employees at its headquarters in Chesterfield, MO, USA, have raised more than $2,200, for two national charities –  Operation Homefront and Make-A-Wish. The charities were selected through a facility-wide employee survey.

Throughout January, the Mark Andy employees purchased raffle tickets for an opportunity to win from a collection of prizes donated by local vendors and business partners. A 50/50 raffle was also held to raise additional funds. Initiated by the human resources team, the charity event was executed by a team of employees. Prizes included home electronics, hotel stays, fuel cards and even hand-crafted items donated by Mark Andy employees themselves.

“Mark Andy is proud to have such generous employees,” says Annette Barnes, human resource manager. “They really made it happen. Seeing the employees at our headquarters location pull together to support these charities was really exciting and we are proud to take advantage of this opportunity to help enrich the lives of others.” 

Operation Homefront, a national nonprofit, leads more than 4,500 volunteers who provide emergency and other financial assistance to the families of service members and wounded warriors. Operation Homefront has met more than 750,000 needs of military families since its inception in 2002. 

Make-A-Wish grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. According to a 2011 US study of wish impact, most health professionals surveyed believe a wish-come-true can have positive impacts on the health of children. Kids say wishes give them renewed strength to fight their illnesses, and their parents say these experiences help strengthen the entire family. The organization has granted more than 226,000 wishes since its inception in 1980; nearly 14,000 in 2012 alone.