The FINANCIAL -- WESTON, Mass., Sep 30, 2011 -- From spending the day with multiple
sclerosis patients in Switzerland to cleaning up around a lake in North
Carolina to working at the country's oldest public elementary school in
Massachusetts, nearly 1,100 Biogen Idec employees across the globe will
participate today in the company's first "Care Deeply Volunteer Day."
Part of Biogen Idec's philanthropic focus on patients, science education and supporting local communities, "Care Deeply Volunteer Day" is a pilot project designed to increase the role of employee volunteerism in those efforts. Biogen Idec has partnered with the non-profit organization VolunteerMatch to provide online tools for employees to connect with and sign up for non-profit volunteer opportunities and track their volunteer hours.
"Biogen Idec has always been focused on our patients and on supporting science education and the communities where we live and work. I believe that encouraging our employees to volunteer and recognizing their volunteer efforts throughout the year builds on our commitment as a company to make a difference in the lives of patients and in our communities," said George A. Scangos, Ph.D., CEO, Biogen Idec. "A companywide volunteer day also promotes leadership, teamwork and pride among our employees, which are all qualities that contribute to our success."
Scangos himself will spend the day volunteering at the Boston Home in Dorchester, which provides residence and care to more than 90 adults with advanced multiple sclerosis and other progressive neurological diseases. The volunteers will perform beautification tasks around the facility, including painting and landscaping, and lead activities for the patients, including reading and playing games.
In all, nearly a quarter of all Biogen Idec employees will volunteer 3,500 hours in communities where Biogen Idec has a presence: Zug, Switzerland; Maidenhead, England; Research Triangle Park, North Carolina; and Greater Boston, Massachusetts.
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