By Colin Burdett, Contributing Writer
photo/submited
Westborough – Living up to Lowe’s “Never Stop Improving” pledge, six employees from the Lowe’s Westborough store volunteered to help clean and spread three truckloads of mulch throughout the Rogers Field playground July 31. The effort was a collaboration between Lowe’s and the Town of Westborough.
Arriving at the field at 9 a.m. wearing bright red t-shirts reading “Be A Hero” and “Improving Our Communities,” the volunteers – Kristen Oliveras, Ryan Sullivan, Al DiGioia, Jonathan Roper, Josh Colonero and Mark Reiser – spread over four tons of mulch around the 7,000-square-feet playground. The Westborough Lowe’s store participates in volunteer projects like this every year as part of a Lowe’s employee volunteer effort known as Lowe’s Heroes. Last year, the store worked with the Hartwell Learning Center in West Boylston.
Lowe’s Heroes is a company-wide volunteer program that offers Lowe’s employees the opportunity to support their local community improvement projects. The program has been in effect since the late 1990s and last year alone, Lowe’s Heroes were responsible for completing more than 1,300 community and education projects throughout North America. Lowe’s contributed more than $1.3 million in materials to support these projects.
Complete with a playground, a pavilion and two baseball fields, Rogers Field, at 4 Rogers Road, is within walking distance of the Westborough Senior Center.
“We take great pride in improving the communities we serve,” said a Lowe’s representative. “We work hard to be a good neighbor and we’re committed to supporting efforts that enrich the lives of our neighbors and customers. Heroes’ projects are a win for everyone. Year-round, Lowe’s Heroes are committed to helping community centers, parks, schools, nonprofits and other organizations complete projects that support the needs of their communities.”
For over a decade, Lowe’s Heroes have partnered with several organizations including Habitat for Humanity, The First Response Team of America, Rebuilding Together and Hockey Canada. To help improve schools, Lowe’s awarded grants to schools in 49 states through the Lowe’s Toolbox for Education program. During last year’s Hurricane Sandy relief effort, Lowe’s Heroes distributed more than 100,000 pounds of food, supplies, and helped rebuild affected communities.
“This year, we’re pleased to partner with the Town of Westborough,” Oliveras, Lowe’s human resources manager, said. “There are six employee volunteers from our store participating and we are all proud to be part of this community and appreciate the opportunity to work with the Town of Westborough to make a lasting impact. We are all really thrilled to work on a project so close to home.”
Speaking on the effort, Assistant Store Manager Sullivan said: “Collaborating with the Town of Westborough is great and our team loves giving back to the fantastic community, customers and neighbors that we serve every day at our store.”
To read more about Lowe’s Heroes’ projects, visit www.lowes.com/socialresponsibility. The Lowe’s Westborough store is located at 260 Turnpike Road.