Cargill ready to run International Marathon for needy children
The 2008 Shanghai International Marathon will be held on November 30th with more than 22,000 runners from around the world. As one of the largest corporate teams, the over 430 members from Cargill, are all ready to run the Marathon with a common mission – to raise funds for needy children. Norwell Coquillard, President of Cargill China, says: “It is already the third time that Cargill has participated in the Shanghai International Marathon. As a responsible corporate citizen, Cargill recognizes that our continued success is dependent upon the growth and health of our communities and partners. As an integral part of China, Cargill is determined to support the communities where we do business by proactive participation and contribution.
Cargill is the first company that runs the Shanghai Marathon for fund raising purposes.. Gerrit Hueting, President of Cargill’s Starches and Sweeteners Asia business unit, initiated a program to run for needy children 3 years ago. The runner from the Netherlands used to run the full marathon in the past two years. Despite a leg injury this year he has vowed to participate: “The Marathon is a sporting event that is healthy and fun, and gives me and my colleagues a chance to impact on our community, to help the next generation, contribute to the communities where we operate, develop new friendships and set an example for business circle how to make a difference for people that are less privileged than we are.”
By drawing contributions from around the company, including employees, customers and partners, the Cargill running team aims to collect USD500,000 (RMB 3.5 million) during this year’s Marathon. The donation will be used to support the education of needy children in China and Thailand from renovating the schools to building libraries to support disabled children so as to better prepare for their future.
For Cargill, corporate responsibility is a long-term Marathon instead of short-term sprint. As the Chinese saying goes, even the longest journey begins with a single step, but we must continue to move forward. The whole Cargill China team has put continuous effort into corporate responsibility activities over the past years. Cargill China was widely recognized for its efforts including “the Vanguard for Chinese people’s livelihood 2008” from China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation and “Corporate Excellence Award 2008” from US state department.
About Cargill Worldwide
Cargill is an international provider of food, agricultural and risk management products and services. With 160,000 employees in 67 countries, the company is committed to using its knowledge and experience to collaborate with customers to help them succeed. For more information, visit http://www.cargill.com.
About Cargill in China
Cargill’s presence in China can be traced back to the 1970's shortly after the release of the Sino-U.S. Joint Communiqué. Today Cargill is proud to be an integral part of China with over 4,400 employees, 34 wholly owned companies and joint ventures in China. As an experienced agriculture, food and risk management supplier, Cargill is in a unique position to contribute its global experience and expertise to China’s principle needs of raising the incomes of its rural population and developing its countryside. By bringing our global expertise and experience to improve efficiency and add value for food and agriculture products in China, we aim to promote sustainable agriculture and a secure grain and food supply for China. For more information, visit http://www.cargill.com.cn.