Source: Delta Air Lines
Delta TechOps presented a record 1,700 bikes, over 1,300 new toys and a check for $50,000 from Delta to the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation Atlanta affiliate at a festive, fun-filled event at the TechOps Hangar in Atlanta on December 4th.
Hundreds of Delta people gathered at the annual TechOps event in Atlanta to celebrate Delta’s 20th year in partnership with Marine Toys for Tots. Following the Toys for Tots event, Delta employees loaded all the bikes and toys onto trucks to deliver them to the Toys for Tots warehouse where they will be stored until the holidays when they are pulled to take to Atlanta area boys and girls.
Throughout the year, members of the TechOps family raise funds to purchase the unassembled children’s bikes. Once the bikes are received, more than 30 departments throughout TechOps spend countless hours building bikes for local Atlanta youth. As tradition, leading up to the event, pink and blue bikes lined the halls of TechOps. At the celebration, the bikes were assembled in the shape of Santa’s sleigh with a sign commemorating the 20th annual event.
“Marking the 20th year of this partnership is incredibly special to all Delta people, but especially our teams in TechOps who host the Bike event each year. For some, these bikes may be the only Christmas gift they receive and one that will last long after the holidays – all thanks to the time and care put in by our TechOps team to build them,” said John Laughter, President – Delta TechOps, E.V.P. and Chief of Operations.
In addition to the Bike Drive, Delta employees at TechOps and the G.O. collected toys this season to donate to Toys for Tots in Atlanta. More than 10 departments at the G.O. held toy drives that started in October and included a virtual toy box with the kids’ wish lists to make giving even easier, plus the usual cheerful Toys for Tots boxes for toys to be deposited all over campus. The G.O. toy drive has collected a record 2,160 toys this year.
Delta is proud to be the Airline Partner of Toys for Tots and a National Corporate Sponsor of the Marine Toys for Tots Literacy Program. The Literacy Program’s mission is to offer disadvantaged children the ability to compete academically and to succeed in life by providing them with books to enhance their ability to read and communicate effectively. Delta contributes more than $700,000 annually to Toys for Tots at the national level, and Toys for Tots toy drives are held annually in many locations systemwide.