COOKEVILLE, Tenn. — Averitt Express drivers and other employees stepped up in 2019 to produce the company's first $1 million donation to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
 
Averitt employees raised a total of $1,000,001, marking the fifth consecutive year they have either matched or exceeded their donation to St. Jude. It was the largest employee-giving contribution to the hospital, eclipsing the $750,001 raised by Averitt last year.
 
“This donation is a team effort, and I’m humbled by our team’s giving spirit that makes it possible,” Gary Sasser, Averitt’s chairman and chief executive officer, said in a news release announcing the donation. “It’s also a great example of what St. Jude founder Danny Thomas once said – ‘I’d rather have a million people give me a dollar than one give me a million.’”
 
The donation was fueled by weekly contributions from Averitt employees as part of Averitt Cares for Kids, the company’s charitable employee-giving program. More than 96 percent of Averitt associates participate, giving $1 per week to help St. Jude and other causes. The average employee-giving program gets about 33 percent participation. 
 
Additionally, the company makes contributions to Averitt Cares for Kids in recognition of associates' accomplishments, participation in community service projects, and life events.
 
“An important theme for our team is ‘The Power of One’ – it represents the positive impact all of us can make as we work together toward a common goal,” Sasser said. “That’s why the extra dollar in our donation is so important to our team. I’m proud of the way we’ve worked together to accomplish this milestone, and I’m even more excited to see how we’ll make a bigger difference in the future.”
 
Since Averitt Cares for Kids began in 1987, the program has contributed nearly $11 million overall to numerous charities, including more than $8 million to St. Jude.
 
Averitt Cares for Kids completed a $1.5 million endowment to help fund the initial construction of the St. Jude Leukemia and Lymphoma Clinic, where the majority of St. Jude patients are treated. The program's most recent contribution will continue to support the innovative research and lifesaving care at St. Jude, including the Leukemia and Lymphoma Clinic.
 
Several Averitt associates will be making a site visit in the next few weeks where they will present the donation, tour the facilities and spend time with the families there.
 
Its overall charitable giving program has grown steadily over the years; it was at 85 percent in 2015. It recently started an Ambassador Team in which Averitt retirees can continue to stay involved in the Cares for Kids program.
 
Photo: Fort Myers service center director Isaiah Woodard (right) spends some time with a St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital patient during a recent visit to the hospital. (Submitted photo)