Dynetics is continuing many company volunteerism and philanthropic traditions this holiday season, even during the unique challenges of 2020.
A wholly owned subsidiary of Leidos, Dynetics has been headquartered in Huntsville since its founding in 1974.
This year, the company’s pre-Christmas giving — as part of “The Twelve Days of Dynetics” — included employees choosing five charities to support. Each charity received a $10,000 gift, totaling $50,000 in funds donated.
Representatives from each organization came together for a socially-distanced check presentation outside the Dynetics Corporate Headquarters in Cummings Research Park on Tuesday. On-site to present the checks was Dynetics group president, Dave King.
The five organizations selected included the following:
- CASA of Madison County, or the Care Assurance System for Aging and Homebound, an organization enabling the aging and homebound to live at home independently, safely and with dignity.
- Kids to Love, a group that has touched the lives of over 250,000 foster children since its incorporation in 2004.
- Make-a-Wish Alabama, a chapter of the non-profit that grants life-changing wishes to children with critical illnesses.
- National Alliance on Mental Illness – North Alabama, a local organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with mental illnesses, including their families.
- Still Serving Veterans, a team that serves and honors veterans and their families by making connections that lead to fulfilling careers, benefits and services.
“The Twelve Days of Dynetics” virtual celebration also includes sharing holiday recipes, family traditions, fun activities for the whole family, as well as resources for wellness and mental health.
“Our team strives to support important causes in our community every day, and gives back even more earnestly during the holidays,” stated King. “While we haven’t been able to gather for volunteering as we typically do, I’m proud that our group has rallied together to give in multiple ways this year.”
Dynetics also spearheaded the following endeavors this holiday season:
Giving Tuesday
Dynetics employees commenced the holiday season by celebrating Giving Tuesday, a global generosity movement that falls on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Leadership encouraged employees to give back by donating $20 in 2020 or volunteering their time to a charity of their choice, or in support of Dynetics’ five philanthropic priority areas. These five priorities include women and children, healthy families, veteran and military, quality of life and educational institutions. As of Dec. 15, employees alone donated over $11,700 dollars and volunteered over 860 hours for the Giving Tuesday campaign.Galaxy of Lights
On Tuesday, Dec. 8, Dynetics employees came together, socially-distanced, to support a long-time partner, the Huntsville Botanical Garden, at their 25th Galaxy of Lights anniversary. Team members served as admission workers, traffic controllers, credit card handlers and assisted in various other roles.Toys for Tots
For many years, Dynetics has partnered with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for Tots program to share the magic of Christmas with others who may not be so fortunate. This year, the Dynetics family collected more than 500 toys for children in need in Madison County by safely donating to boxes placed around campus.
Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn