SAIC Employees Help Collect More than 8,162 Pounds of Recyclables During O.A.R.’s Green Dream Tour

More than 160 SAIC volunteers helped collect 8,162 pounds of recyclables during the rock band O.A.R.'s SAIC-sponsored Green Dream Tour, which wrapped up on September 5, 2009, in Toronto, Canada.

Both the number of volunteers and recyclables collected increased over last year's tour, in which 30 SAIC volunteers help collect more than 1,900 pounds of recyclables.

Building a Commitment to Environmental Responsibility

O.A.R. traveled across the U.S. in a tour bus complete with SAIC's logo and performed at shows that featured SAIC-branded recycling centers. SAIC was the main corporate sponsor of the tour, which aimed to educate fans — most of whom are in the "Gen Y" age range — about environmental responsibility through recycling and other efforts at concerts.

The response we received from employees was overwhelmingly positive," said John Mauney, vice president for Branding and Advertising. "We had more people offer to volunteer than the spots allowed, and it was great to see people give their time and effort.

Mauney reiterated that these efforts demonstrate our commitment to the environment and are yet another reason SAIC is an employer of choice for people interested in energy and the environment. But there are other benefits to SAIC's involvement as well.

It was also great to see the networking between employees from different locations," said Raigan Winthers, marketing segment manager. "People who might never have met each other were able to come together through this initiative and share ideas about sustainability and why it is important to them.

Employees Go to Great Lengths to Volunteer

More employees got behind the initiative this year, including Geospatial Imagery Analyst Austin Almquist.

I really enjoyed making a difference in the recycling efforts," said Almquist, who volunteered at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre show in Denver. "It makes me proud to be on the SAIC team. I think SAIC is on the brink of something very special, and I am proud to say I was and will continue to be a part of it.

“I think SAIC is on the brink of something very special, and I am proud to say I was and will continue to be a part of it.”
— Austin Almquist, Geospatial Imagery Analyst and SAIC Volunteer

Some SAIC employees volunteered at more than one concert, including Senior Contract Analyst Judith Sung, who participated at shows in New York City and Chicago. At each of Sung's stops, "at least one of the band members came and talked to us about the work we were doing and to express their gratitude for our support.

"New York was great. The venue had a lot of the recycling stuff set up already so we set up more of an information table," she said. "We had one of the spin wheels where you could win a signed guitar or photograph of the band. It attracted lots of attention and interest, which was a great way to draw the crowd over, so we could tell people about SAIC, the Green Dream, and that recycling is so simple yet so important."

Ryan Pioquinto, Corporate Finance stock programs specialist, flew into New York from San Diego to volunteer, because "I love O.A.R.'s music and there was a great company-sponsored volunteer opportunity at Madison Square Garden, the world's most famous arena."

"My first reaction [to the Green Dream sponsorship] was, 'How did my company start working with one of my favorite bands?'" he said. "You wouldn't immediately make the connection between the two, especially since many people, including myself, hear 'SAIC' and primarily think of government contracts and not environmental efforts.

"When I read the article about how the relationship came about, it all made sense. I love that a band like O.A.R. had an idea and was able to find a company like ours to assist in making that idea come to life. SAIC is great for going outside the box and sponsoring the band and the Green Dream."