Photo Caption: Luke Calcraft volunteering at a Habitat Lehigh Valley construction site last year – June 2014 – at a Bethlehem construction site on Aaron St.
Allentown, June 22, 2015 – Olympus has partnered with Habitat for Humanity for an annual June “Day of Caring” in memory of the late Luke Calcraft, former Olympus Medical Systems Group President, who was very dedicated to the Habitat Lehigh Valley mission. This year, Olympus employees will be volunteering for three “Day of Caring” events – June 23, 25, and 30 – with Habitat Lehigh Valley.
Volunteering during the month of June on a Habitat for Humanity of the Lehigh Valley site build plays an important role in Olympus’ Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives for a very special reason. In June 2014, Olympus Medical Systems Group President, Luke Calcraft, rallied 15 members of Olympus’ senior executive leadership team to participate in the first-ever “Olympus Day of Caring” at a Habitat build site in Bethlehem, PA. Calcraft, in his capacity as the President of the Medical Group and a member of the Company’s Board of Directors, led the charge for Olympus’ revitalized community outreach and philanthropic efforts because he strongly believed that giving back to those in need, active employee engagement and volunteering were cornerstone principles of the organization. His active participation and support for such volunteering inspired hundreds of employees to volunteer for local non-profits through similar “Olympus Day of Caring” initiatives. He had selected Habitat for Humanity for his own team’s experience because of the potential for direct interaction with Habitat clients, the results-oriented potential of the builds, and the team-building opportunity it provided for employees.
Very tragically, just a few short weeks following Olympus’ inaugural Habitat volunteer day, Calcraft passed away at age 46 following a short but serious illness. His legacy with Olympus, family and friends was that as a down-to-earth, genuine and inspiring leader that supported philanthropy and community outreach through actions and deeds rather than token support. In an effort to honor his legacy, Olympus employees dedicated proceeds from their 2014 Employee Raffle Event to Habitat, yielding donations of $10,000 for the local chapter. The Corporate Social Responsibility department likewise coordinated numerous special “Day of Caring” events with Habitat for the week of June 22, 2015, to commemorate the anniversary of Luke’s “Day of Caring” experience.
“Olympus employees are humbled by the opportunity to build and volunteer with Habitat teams. There is special meaning to scheduling these events in June since that was the start of our relationship with Habitat as chosen by our beloved Luke Calcraft. His spirit is alive and we know he’d be pleased with the legacy of community outreach combined with employee camaraderie that will occur during Olympus’ June builds,” stated Lauren Goff, Executive Director, Corporate Social Responsibility.
Habitat for Humanity’s mission is to provide affordable housing for hardworking low-income families. Homeowners commit to 250 hours of “sweat equity” to be eligible for a Habitat home. Partner families repay a no-interest mortgage as part of Habitat’s philosophy of giving potential homeowners a “hand up” instead of a “hand out.”
Since 1989, Habitat has built and renovated over 100 homes in the Lehigh Valley and has dedicated its 100th home last year. Contact Habitat Lehigh Valley at 610-776-7737 for additional information or explore its initiatives by visiting the website at http://www.habitatlv.org/.
Habitat for Humanity of the Lehigh Valley contact:
Debrah N. Cummins, Executive Director, deb@habitatlv.org, 610-776-7737
