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Fed Ex delivers help to Hanson Center
John Cronin, corporate account manager at FedEx, joins colleagues Wendy Root and Craig Wlosinski as they help work on some landscaping at Hanson Center in Burr Ridge. | J.Geil ~ For Sun-Times Media
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Updated: October 21, 2012 1:21PM
BURR RIDGE — The Hanson Center in Burr Ridge, part of the Ray Graham Association for people with developmental disabilities, was abuzz Friday as dozens of FedEx employees, all wearing bright purple “FedEx Cares” shirts, put their backs and hearts into helping out the local organization.
FedEx employees from all over the area put aside their usual jobs to participate in the 8th annual FedEx Cares Week, an event that benefits communities throughout the world.
In cooperation with United Way, about 4,000 Fed Ex employees were expected to donate 20,000 volunteers hours between Sept. 10 and 14.
At the Hanson Center, Barbara Kosowski of Lombard started her day shoveling limestone, but soon turned her attention to clearing brush from the Hanson Center entryway with fellow employee Chris Forneris of Joliet.
The two women don’t work together and rarely see one another, but had plenty of time to catch up with one another as they trimmed, raked and bagged.
“It’s like old home week,” said Jim Mitchell, a Chicago resident who works in Buffalo Grove.
Mitchell said he enjoys taking part in the work day, where he reconnects with former colleagues and meets new ones.
Greg Hirsch, a FedEx employee in charge of coordinating the day’s volunteers, said Hanson Center is a perfect spot for a work day.
“There is plenty of work for us to do,” said Hirsch, who visited the center two years ago to stain the fences around the property.
This time, volunteers cleaned up landscaping, covered riding trails with gravel and spruced up the center’s riding arena.
This year’s work day comes just in time for one of the year’s biggest events at the Hanson Center. The annual horse show is Sept. 30.
“FedEx is getting us ready for the big event,” Mary Beth Glenn, major gifts facilitator at Hanson Center, said.
Along with the volunteers, FedEx provided Hanson Center with a grant to pay for tools and materials needed for the work day.
“It is money we wouldn’t otherwise have to do this kind of work,” she said.
