By: Daniel Watkins
Well in this case it is not only good, but a great thing. And the code we are referring to is not the code behind OPERA, but the dress code.
As Albert Pike once stated, “What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.” And here at MICROS we take pride in helping and supporting each other. Not only do we strive to meet and support the needs of all of our clients and employees, but we have figured out a way to take this helping hand outside of the office.
Since its inception in 2009, the “Dress Down for Charity” has raised over $9000 for both local and international charities. And this has been accomplished by having the first Friday of the month be Dress Down for Charity day at MICROS-Fidelio in Naples. The idea is that we all get the privilege to “dress down” in our casual best —jeans, shorts, t-shirts, Hawaiian shirts, sneakers, and so on —in exchange for making a small donation to a charity in need of financial assistance.
The program has proven to be a great success. In 2009, we collected $1765 for the Naples Shelter for Abused Women & Children in order to help with their holiday season. In 2010, following the tragic earthquake in Haiti, we were able to give another $1200 to Relief for Haiti, in addition to the collections of $2837 that were split between the Naples Shelter for Abused Women & Children and the Harry Chapin Food Bank. And for 2011, $4000 was collected to benefit the Guadalupe Center and their mission of “Breaking the cycle of poverty through education”. As these have been the main charities that have benefited from this event, other charities have received donations by means of money, supplies, and volunteer time from our employees.
As Beth Gorod, who is spearheading the effort in Naples puts it, “At the end of the day isn’t it about trying to make a difference? Here at MICROS-Fidelio in Naples we are working on just that — making a difference.”
