Feb. 19, 2019—Bridgestone Retail Operations announced it raised nearly $2.8 million to support Boys & Girls Clubs of America through its Driving Great Futures initiative in 2018. In the fourth consecutive year of its national partnership, BSRO doubled what it raised in 2017, bringing the total funds raised since 2015 to $6.6 million.
One hundred percent of funds raised through the BSRO Driving Great Futures program helps Boys & Girls Clubs of America serve millions of young people through club membership and community outreach.
"This record-breaking contribution would not be possible without the generosity and commitment of our customers, employees and partners. Because of their support, Bridgestone is helping ensure kids have reliable transportation to and from their local club," said Joe Venezia, president, BSRO. "We are proud to collaborate with Boys & Girls Clubs of America to help address the challenges local clubs face each day while exemplifying Our Way to Serve, the Bridgestone corporate social responsibility commitment to improving the way young people live, move and play."
In 2018, BSRO awarded 81 transportation grants to Boys & Girls Clubs across the country. Ten of the grants supported the purchase of new passenger vans outfitted with Bridgestone DriveGuard tires, which travel up to 50 miles at up to 50 mph to safety after a puncture or flat. The remaining grants supported the transportation needs of Clubs who on average serve a combined 71,000 youth each day, and nearly 800,000 youth each year.
The majority of contributions collected in 2018 were the result of in-store donations by customers through the company's network of more than 2,200 automotive service centers, as well as additional support from Credit First National Association, a business of Bridgestone Americas, and Interstate Batteries, Shell, and ITW/QMI. In addition to financial support, employees invested more than 2,000 volunteer hours in support of the Driving Great Futures program.
"Bridgestone consistently demonstrates its commitment to Boys & Girls Clubs by developing unique programs that contribute to our mission to enable all young people to reach their full potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens," said Jim Clark, president and CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of America. "The transportation grant program we developed this past year with Bridgestone allowed us to collect unprecedented data and gain valuable insights about the transportation needs of our clubs, and through funding, is enabling us to address these gaps head on. We are Driving Great Futures together."
