By Mia Simon, People & Culture Communications Manager
A group of children was delighted to learn that they would be receiving a new set of wheels, courtesy of their friends at First Advantage. During the company’s most recent Sales Kickoff (SKO) event, team members assembled and decorated 18 bikes for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta patients. The bikes were adorned with balloons and personalized signs to show each recipient that the bike they received was built with care and compassion in mind.
Amanda Meagher, Customer Success Director, has worked with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta for the last few years to support them while they use First Advantage’s products, servicing their account as needed. They have been a customer since 2015. Amanda is also deeply involved in FA Cares, First Advantage’s volunteer program. She was excited to help coordinate a volunteer activity that benefited a company customer she supports on an everyday basis.
“It fell together so perfectly – we needed to find a client that was local to Atlanta, and Children’s was an immediate solution. Within an hour of asking if they would be interested in being the recipient of the bikes, I was introduced to their Program Manager to secure the details,” Meagher said.
Shannon Antinarella, Program Manager at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, consulted with Meagher to help provide ideas for the volunteer activity. On the day of the event, she came to the conference to watch teams put the bikes together. Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta operates three hospitals and multiple neighborhood locations to provide care to patients. She explained that her team, which helps oversee Children’s camp programs and other family-patient initiatives, that are offered throughout the year, relies on philanthropic support. Many of the programs facilitated by the healthcare system are donor-funded, so community involvement plays a huge role in making sure they stay sustainable.
The camps they coordinate are special because the medical professionals who treat children in the hospital are also there during camp to help take care of them. It makes Children’s a trusted provider both in and outside their healthcare facilities. The bikes that were assembled at SKO were given away through a raffle. Every family that participated in the drawing received a bike, which hopefully made the experience even more special for campers.
“We absolutely could not do the important work that we do without community partners and people getting involved and invested in our programs,” Antinarella said. The service activity was facilitated by Best Corporate Events LLC, photos were taken by JM Photographics, and the bike delivery was made possible with support from REFURB Technologies. Together, alongside First Advantage, this group made a positive impact on the lives of children who are receiving treatment to fight back against the illnesses they are facing. The theme of SKO was “Unstoppable,” a fitting word for children who will be speeding along on their bikes, while inspiring others as they undergo their treatment and show others what it means to not give up. This was a service activation that First Advantage team members won’t soon forget.
“In speaking with Shannon, it just evolved into this massive opportunity for First Advantage to not only be a team building event for our employees but also service the community. It brought me to tears seeing the excitement and pride taken by our First Advantage family working together for the kids” Meagher said. “It means a lot that First Advantage makes it a priority to give back to our community. There’s nothing better you can do than to give unselfishly to others.” Read more about Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta community impact, here, and visit First Advantage’s ESG Overview page to learn more about how the company incorporates volunteerism into its culture.
