ARTBA Foundation launches awards to spotlight excellence in community service and charitable giving

Washington, D.C. — The American Road & Transportation Builders Association Transportation Development Foundation (ARTBA-TDF) is launching a new awards competition to recognize transportation design, construction and safety industry firms that have initiated programs — outside the scope of normal business operations — aimed at improving the quality of life in the communities where they are based.

The “Helping Hand Awards” will share the industry’s “good works” stories with the public, news media, legislators and other opinion leaders. By publicizing these efforts, the Foundation hopes to inspire others in the industry to follow — or exceed — their example. These main criteria will be used to evaluate the entries:

• Nominees will have developed or engaged in programs or initiatives that benefit residents in communities where they are headquartered or conduct business. Such activities could include, but are not limited to, mentoring school children, helping the disabled, providing food or clothes for the homeless, cleaning up litter, or providing other services to disadvantaged neighborhoods.

• Nominees should have made a significant contribution of personal time, along with contributions of money, materials, or other in-kind services/resources. Nominees will be judged on the overall level of impact their contribution has had on the community.

• A major portion of the nominee’s community relations program must have taken place in the previous 18 months, but judges will also consider ongoing efforts outside this timeframe that illustrate the depth of commitment.

There is no fee to enter and nominations should be submitted online at www.artbatdf.org by February 6, 2015.