Metro News Release

For immediate release: November 18, 2003

Holiday-related giving is in full swing at Metro

With the holiday season fast approaching, many Metro employees are gearing up for giving, in large ways and small, to those in the community in need. From individual employees to whole offices to groups of offices, Metro employees are getting into the holiday spirit of giving. They are giving in traditional and not-so-traditional ways. A few of the planned efforts include the following:∙ Jeff Roeger and Greg Warmack, who both work at Metro’s Shady Grove Communications shop (and some friends who are not Metro employees), participated in a fund raiser this past weekend for a mutual friend who was diagnosed with cancer. In a show of support beyond the $1,700 (and still counting) raised to assist their friend in need, who is a member of the club, the Fraternal Order of Eagles, Jeff, Greg, and friends shaved their heads when their friend’s hair began to fall out and she shaved hers.∙ Agents in Metro’s Customer Information Call Center and Customer Assistance offices are gathering canned and/or boxed food items to donate to families in need this holiday season through 96.3 WHUR Radio’s Project Harvest, 93.9 WKYS Radio’s Hummer Harvest, the House of Ruth, and Greater Mount Calvary Holiness Church’s project, " For Those in Need." The items will go to these groups before the end of this week.∙ At the Fourth Annual Safeway Feast of Sharing at the new Washington Convention Center on Wednesday, November 26, Metro staff will be on hand to provide the potential for those in need to keep food on the table in future months " via sharing employment opportunities information and information on bus and rail services, Smart Benefits, SmarTrip cards, and more.∙ The Offices of Procurement and System Safety and Risk Management are partnering by " adopting" a foster family in Washington, D.C., via the social service agency which handles foster families. These employees will provide food and clothing for the family and toys for the children over the coming holidays.∙ Tracy Reed, an employee at the Bladensburg Division’s Bus Maintenance department, is spearheading a food drive with her fellow employees. Once the drive ends next week, collected food items will be donated to the Capital Area Food Bank for those in need.∙ Employees from the offices of Accounting, Payroll, and Budget will sponsor their annual holiday auction on December 22, the proceeds of which will go to the Whitman Walker Clinic. Employees from these and other offices donate a variety of baked goods, crafts, services, and skills for the auction (one year, an employee offered ice skating lessons and another employee offered an airplane ride to the highest bidders). Last year, employees raised more than $11,000 which was donated to the National Children’s Medical Center. Each year, the employees vote on the organization which will receive the funds raised at the auction, and they always challenge themselves to raise even more the following year. So far, they have met their own challenge each year.

News release issued on November 18, 2003.