MAUI, Hawaii — About 400 Terminix employees participated in “Make it Maui,” an event to supply local elementary schools with backpacks, school supplies, books and bookshelves. Each participant was chosen based on set standards of performance. To be selected, most employees had to rank in the top three in their region.

Doug Bell, Maui branch manager for Terminix, said that more than 500 backpacks were passed out to a program called Keiki Closet, which allows teachers in Maui to identify students in need and supply them with school supplies. In addition to the backpacks, 82 bookshelves stocked with over 4,000 books were given to Wailuku Elementary in order to start a school library.            

The event took place during Terminix’s annual Awards of Excellence, Jan. 22-27, at the Ritz Carlton in Kapalua on Maui.The best of the best at Terminix come together each year to celebrate the Awards of Excellence, and to complete a charity project.  Leaders at Terminix understand that education is one of the building blocks of communities.
           
“It’s an investment in the community that will perpetrate itself. These kids may be leaders for us in the future. Any time a company or organization can invest in the community, it rewards itself,” said Wes Otani, Hawaii region manager for Terminix.

Terminix’s Bell added,“People felt good; you could tell. We knew we were doing the right thing and we were helping people out.  When we had the actual awards, kids from Wailuku Elementary came. I’m not sure if there was a dry eye in the house.”