Lilly to Celebrate Second Annual Global Day of Service May 20

Employees from New Zealand to California to volunteer in their communities 


INDIANAPOLIS, May 18  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- On May 20, red T-shirts will once again blanket communities in the U.S. and across the globe as thousands of Eli Lilly and Company employees donate their time and energy to improve the health and well-being of their hometowns in celebration of the company's second annual Global Day of Service.

Last year, more than 20,000 Lilly employees from more than 50 global locations participated, making Lilly's Global Day of Service one of the world's largest-ever corporate volunteerism events to take place on a single day. In Indianapolis, Lilly's corporate headquarters, last year's event was a catalyst that generated nearly 30,000 hours of volunteer time in a single day toward community improvement projects in Central Indiana.

"From our company's earliest days, giving back to our communities has been an important part of our mission. In addition, providing meaningful opportunities for employee volunteerism and community service is critically important in the recruitment, retention, and engagement of a talented workforce," said Chairman, President, and CEO John Lechleiter, Ph.D. "For Lilly, this is essential to our success, particularly at a time when we must work to fundamentally transform our business. During these difficult economic times, we believe that thoughtful investments in corporate social responsibility, including the Global Day of Service, are not only the right thing to do for our communities, they also make very good business sense."

Among the many projects taking place outside the U.S., employees in Singapore are partnering with their local national park to assist with restoration efforts on an island off the coast of Singapore. Employees will clean up trash and debris to help preserve the local ecosystem and marine life. In Poland, employees will renovate outdoor play areas, buildings and gardens at seven orphanages.

And in Indianapolis, more than 9,500 Lilly employees will join Keep Indianapolis Beautiful (KIB) and 60 local organizations to complete more than 50 community improvement projects within the city. In addition to KIB, local partners include the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT), Indy Parks, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Indianapolis, Boy Scouts of America, United Way of Central Indiana, and Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS).

"We've built upon last year's success and the overwhelmingly positive feedback from our employees and community partners around the world to take this Day of Service to the next level," said Rob Smith, director of corporate responsibility at Lilly. "We believe this volunteer event represents a wonderful opportunity for organizations and individuals to come together in common cause to improve the communities in which we live and work. We look forward to even greater participation in the years to come."

Lilly's Global Day of Service is the signature event for the company's "Hands and Hearts" program, which was launched in 2007 to enhance and encourage employee involvement with nonprofit organizations. In 2008, Lilly's philanthropic contributions totaled approximately $350 million, 80 percent of which was product donations for patient assistance programs, the Lilly MDR-TB Partnership, and international humanitarian causes.

About Lilly

Lilly, a leading innovation-driven corporation, is developing a growing portfolio of first-in-class and best-in-class pharmaceutical products by applying the latest research from its own worldwide laboratories and from collaborations with eminent scientific organizations. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind., Lilly provides answers - through medicines and information - for some of the world's most urgent medical needs. Additional information about Lilly is available at http://www.lilly.com/.

CR-LLY

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DATASOURCE: Eli Lilly and Company



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