Bright idea

Some companies have fundraisers, others write a check, but when you have more than 600 employees, you have the opportunity to make a big difference for a nonprofit.

Michael Petras, vice president of electrical distribution and lighting sales at GE Consumer and Industrial, says volunteering is part of GE’s culture, but organizing an activity is a huge project.

This year, Camp Ho Mita Koda, a Geauga County camp for children with diabetes, was chosen as the local site for GE’s annual Global Community Days program, in which thousands of GE employees worldwide participate in service projects. United Way of Greater Cleveland also designated the day as a Day of Caring event.

More than 600 GE employees and retirees spent the day doing a massive camp makeover, the equivalent of 4,800 volunteer hours, plus another 1,500 hours in preparation and wrap-up activities.

“If you bring 600 people to a job site, and there’s only work for 200, you’re going to have people tripping over each other,” Petras says. “We try to find a project that has enough scale to it that we can find enough work for all of us to really go in one direction on it.”

GE volunteers did construction, painting, landscaping and plumbing on the Newbury camp’s 75 acres, donating $55,000 in materials, supplies and contract work. GE’s team leaders secured an additional $45,000 in donated supplies and materials from ICI Paints, The Albert M. Higley Co., Eurest Dining Services, Ontario Stone, Roman Floors and Timan Custom Window Treatments.

“When I call up (donors) and say, ‘We need this to help do this project, can you help us out?’ very few of them will say no,” Petras says. “It’s just the way this community is. It’s got good values.”

This kind of project helps the community, but it also drives team-building.

“You’re working with your colleagues on something that’s an overall good for the community,” he says. “Just being able to rely on each other to do that builds camaraderie. There’s a lot of good that happens.”

HOW TO REACH: GE Consumer and Industrial, (216) 266-2121 or www.lighting.ge.com