Providing a loving, stable home for children from families in crisis is only possible with the support of our devoted donors. Tokio Marine HCC (TMHCC) has been an advocate for our children for many years. Their involvement began with sponsoring Boys and Girls Country’s (BGC) annual bike ride, Pedal for a Purpose, and their involvement has grown to sponsoring a cottage at Christmas and offering to match employee donations to BGC. We are thankful that their chief financial officer Tom Weist recommended BGC as a charity to support.
“When I first moved to Houston in 2011, I bought a bike from Bike Barn in Cypress. They had a group ride every Saturday morning, which I joined,” Weist said. “In 2013 or 2014, the store manager mentioned the BGC charity ride. Bike Barn was providing free services to riders and was helping to raise awareness. I brought this to Chris Williams’ (TMHCC’s former CEO) attention as he was looking for charity events where we could participate. He liked the charity and the event, so we sponsored. The rest is history.”
TMHCC looks forward to Pedal for a Purpose every year. Their employees volunteer at rest stops along the ride to pass out snacks and cheer on the riders. One of the riders in Pedal for a Purpose is the executive vice president of TMHCC, Mark Callahan.
“It is a great route for a great cause,” Callahan said. “Boys and Girls Country provides lasting long-term benefits to the Houston economy by intervening in the lives of local children through their programs. Taking a ride in the middle of the Texas spring can help save lives.”
In addition to sponsoring Pedal for a Purpose, TMHCC sponsors a BGC cottage family at Christmas. They devote their time and resources as a team to make sure our kids have the best Christmas possible. The celebration comes with a delicious meal, the gifts that our kids hope for and a time of fellowship. These celebrations create memories that our kids carry throughout their lives. The TMHCC team shared that they receive overwhelming joy when they see the smiles on our kids’ faces who open their gifts and experience the true magic of Christmas fellowship as a family. Christmas 2021 marked six years of their support, and TMHCC is planning on supporting BGC further in 2022.
We are also blessed to receive funds from TMHCC who has a matching program for its employees. When employers match donations, it not only helps to raise more vital funds for our program, but it also encourages employees to give back to their community.
“As part of our Good Company values, we are committed to making a positive impact through meaningful change for the communities in which we live and work,” marketing associate, Casie Majewski said. “We implemented the Impact Program (through Benevity’s Spark platform) to make giving easier and to provide a fun and easy way to give time or money to causes that matter to TMHCC and our employees.”
We feel so blessed to have the support of TMHCC through the years. Their generous support changed the lives of many children, and we look forward to our continued partnership.