Harpers Ferry, WV. September 28, 2018 — Many corporations have programs which allow employees to perform community service on company time. Younger employees especially like this idea. For them it’s a habit. They’ve been performing community service since they were young students.
Allowing employees to do good in the company name offers excellent brand recognition while employees get to enhance morale, build camaraderie, and recharge their batteries.
Yesterday, as a representative of the PATC Trail Patrol, I led a group from the Hilton Hotel corporate headquarters on the portion of the Appalachian Trail that is co-located on the historic C&O Canal tow path. Though they didn’t know it before starting, the volunteers would visit three national parks that day – C&O Canal, the Appalachian Trail and Harpers Ferry National Park.
In ninety short minutes, these volunteers collected approximately 40 gallons of refuse from either side of the tow path and from the canal itself.
Another group covered the six miles on the AT between Gathland State Park and Weverton Cliff parking.
Thank you@hiltonhotels.
Thanks also to my friend Mary Thurman, caretaker at the Blackburn Trail Center. Mary acted as the sweep, ensuring that the entire group arrived together.
Sisu
What an enjoyable way to do community service. Go Hilton Hotels!
Just think how clean and clear the trail would be if Hilton (and/or other lodging chains) offered 1/2 price or free lodging to hikers and maintainers for this service. Show up with the required amount of trash, and a time dated picture of the work on your phone, and voila! I guess this could work for restaurants as well. As another incentive, the companies could receive a tax deduction for the value of the offering…
What a great way to do service– thank you Hilton employees!!! I’m sure the C&O Towpath was very, very muddy–you get extra bonus points for that.
Thank you, especially, Jim for your leadership. There would be no volunteers –and therefore no Appalachian Trail–if it weren’t for the heroes like you that do the planning, leading, and coordination of fellow volunteers. It’s especially important to work with new and young volunteers. Looks like you got a super crew. I bet some of them will be back! And thanks to Mary too for serving as sweep. An essential job.
All the hard work that goes on behind the scenes ! Thanks !