TAYLORVILLE, ll., Sept. 7, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Watson Inc. donated 216 school backpacks to the Taylorville Food Pantry. The backpacks came in assorted colors, so that the children would be able to pick a color they preferred. The team members at Watson's Taylorville plant held a school supply drive during the summer, in order to collect items to fill the backpacks. Watson also sponsored a shopping challenge. Employees volunteered to participate, and were given shopping money. They competed to see who was able to purchase the most school supplies within that budget. In addition to the supplies from the drive and shopping challenge, Watson provided additional notebooks, pens, pencils, rulers, erasers, glue, pocket folders, calculators and scissors.
After the supplies were collected, employees held a packing event. Each backpack was carefully packed by a team member to ensure that each child would have a good assortment of supplies. Everyone joined in on the packing event, and the bags were loaded into a pickup truck and delivered to Don Redhead of the Taylorville Food Pantry.
The backpacks have been distributed to families in Taylorville. The company hopes that the children will find the school supplies useful and will have a successful school year. "This would not have been possible without the commitment from the whole team at Watson-Taylorville." said Moira Watson, VP of Marketing and Communication. "It was a lot of work, they had to use every available table in the cafeteria and office for the packing event! People volunteered their time to shop and pack and bring in school supplies for the drive. It is a great feeling when you see a team come together like that for a good cause. They were able to accomplish so much, and in doing so have touched the lives of so many families." continued Watson.
This time of year can be very difficult for families. When school is out for the summer, families need to provide additional meals for breakfast and lunch that would have otherwise been provided in school lunch programs. For many, this means their dollars need to stretch further in the summer. Purchasing school supplies and clothing can therefore be extremely challenging for many families at this time of year.
Watson is a family business, and one of the company's core values is a commitment to support the community. The company feels that having a purpose and making a difference in the community develops a culture of caring in a company, making it a great place to work. About Watson:
Watson was founded in 1939 in New York. Today the headquarters is located in West Haven CT. In 1982, Watson purchased the enrichment business of Stauffer Chemical Co., and Nopa Laboratories, a small pharmaceutical firm in Pana, Illinois. In 1992, Watson purchased Dufar's nutritional premix division for the food industry and for US AID emergency relief programs. That same year, Watson moved its Illinois production facility from Pana, IL, to a 66,000 square foot building in Taylorville, IL. For more information on Watson Inc., see www.watson-inc.com .
Contacts: Watson Inc. Moira Watson, V.P. Marketing & Communications moira.watson@watson-inc.com 800-388-3481 or (203) 932-3000 Company info: Watson Inc.
- Corporate headquarters: 301 Heffernan Drive, West Haven CT 06516
- CEO: James T. Watson
- Website: www.watson-inc.com
- Employees: 300
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