Walking the walk
PDC employees participate in an event to support three Santa Clarita Valley nonprofits
Three local nonprofits were beneficiaries of a charity walk and food drive Thursday morning put on by employees of PDC, a maker of identity bracelets and related products.
The event, the Brady Walk for Community, named for Brady Corp., PDC’s corporate parent, is in its seventh year.
The event took place outside PDC’s offices at the SunKist building overlooking the intersection of The Old Road and Magic Mountain Parkway just west of the 5.
“We’re proud of being a part of the Brady Corporation, which is committed to giving back to the communities where its businesses operate,” PDC President Robert Case said in a statement.
PDC employees each walked up to five laps around the building, with Brady Corp. donating $10 per lap per person.
More than one hundred PDC Valencia employees participated in this year’s walk, which raised $4,500 each for the local chapter of the American Diabetes Association and the Michael Hoefflin Foundation for Children’s Cancer.
“Each year, our employees hold a vote to select two local non-profits to support,” said PDC spokesperson Jennifer Scinto. “We have employees with family members affected by diabetes and by pediatric cancer, so this year’s recipients have particular significance.”
In previous years, the walk has benefitted Child & Family Center Foundation, Tierra del Sol Foundation, and Hope House. Each year’s event also includes a food drive to benefit the Santa Clarita Valley Food Pantry. This year PDC employees contributed more than 230 pounds of food.
The event helps the nonprofit organizations “continue the amazing work they do to bring hope and help to families,” Case said.
“The Food Pantry is very grateful for being included in PDC’s charitable efforts,” said Food Pantry board president Jason Schaff. “Summer is generally the season when food donations drop, so this comes at the perfect time.” Schaff is vice president and editor of The Signal.
Other local businesses that supported the event include Cheesecake Factory, Chick-fil-A, Hilton Garden Inn, Lady Di’s Cookies, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Old Town Newhall Ice Co., Rattler’s Bar B Que, Sprouts Farmers Market, Stonefire Grill, Sunkist Growers Inc., and Trader Joe’s.
Founded as Precision Dynamics Corp. in 1956, PDC developed the first one-piece identification bracelet for hospital patients.
PDC has been a subsidiary of Milwaukee-based Brady since 2012. The Santa Clarita event was one of several at Brady locations across the country in which 1,200 employees took part.
The Brady Walk raised $105,000 nationally this year and has raised more than $1 million since its inception. Nearly 150,000 pounds of food has been donated to local food banks.
In addition to the three Santa Clarita organizations, Brady employees around the country raised money for Cradle Beach, Friends of Night People, House of Hope, New Reach, Connecticut Food Bank, Yellow Brick House, A Week Away, House of Ruth, Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital Foundation, Childhood Cancer Foundation, the Norton Healthcare Foundation, Blood Center of Wisconsin, Canine Cupids, Milwaukee Rescue Mission, and Tailwaggers 911.