[November 01, 2007]

Polycom Challenges Alameda County Businesses in First Tri-Valley 2007 Community Food Bank Holiday Food and Fund Drive

PLEASANTON, Calif., Nov. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Polycom, Inc. , the market leader in unified collaborative communications solutions, today challenged local companies in Pleasanton, Dublin and Livermore to out-donate Polycom in Alameda County's first Tri-Valley Community Food Bank Holiday Food and Fund Drive. Last year, Polycom made the largest donation, delivering over 11 tons of food following an internal challenge issued by department leaders to their teams. Losing department heads were forced to sing "Who Let the Dogs Out," chosen by the winning executive, at the Polycom holiday party -- to decidedly mixed reviews!

This year, Polycom is challenging other businesses in the area to dramatically improve the lives of the more than 14,000 children and 7,000 seniors served weekly by the Alameda County Community Food Bank. Polycom CEO Bob Hagerty and CFO Mike Kourey have sent personalized letters with contest details to local companies in the area such as BMC Software, Chubb Group of Insurance, the City of Dublin, EMC Documentum, Grocery Outlet, Hitachi Technologies America, Hometown GMAC Real Estate, Mercedes Benz of Pleasanton, Shaklee, Shea Homes, Sybase, Valley Care Health System, and Wente Brothers, among others.

Companies can donate food and funds to the drive -- with every can or package of food counting as one point and every dollar earning 2 points. Food Bank barrels hold approximately 200 pounds of food. The challenge will run from Monday, November 5 to Friday, December 7, 2007. The company with the highest level of donations will receive as the Grand Prize a plaque presented by KCBS Radio Food and Wine Editor Narsai David, who is also Honorary Chair of the 2007 Holiday Food Drive.

"Last year's internal contest was such a success, with each Polycom employee donating an average of 76 pounds of food, that we wanted to keep the momentum going and impact the results exponentially by involving other companies in our area," said Bob Hagerty, chairman and CEO, Polycom. "I am reaching out to all business leaders to join me in stepping up to the universal challenge of eliminating hunger. You'll be glad you did because the Holiday Food Drive offers your employees a fun and meaningful team-building opportunity, while demonstrating your commitment to corporate citizenship."

"For every dollar donated, the Food Bank distributes $7 worth of food," said Alameda Food Bank Executive Director Suzan Bateson. "We'll help you run the drive, arrange to drop off and pick up food barrels, as well as offer tips that will enable you to run a successful local food and fund drive. We are grateful to Polycom for the example they continue to set in giving back to their community and are excited to see what a competition among the business community can generate."

About the Alameda County Community Food Bank
Established in 1985, the Alameda County Community Food Bank works with 300 community based organizations, including soup kitchens and food pantries, to provide emergency food assistance to 40,000 people in need each week. In addition to food distribution, the Food Bank works to break the cycle of poverty and hunger through education and advocacy efforts. For more information, call (510) 635-3663 or visit http://www.accfb.org/.

About Polycom
Polycom, Inc. is the worldwide leader in unified collaborative communications (UCC) that maximize the efficiency and productivity of people and organizations by integrating the broadest array of high definition video, wired and wireless voice, and content solutions to deliver the ultimate collaborative experience. Polycom's high quality, standards-based conferencing and collaboration solutions are easy to deploy and manage, as well as intuitive to use. Supported by an open architecture, they integrate seamlessly with leading telephony, workplace wireless telephony, and presence-based networks. With its market-driving technologies, best-in-class products, alliance partnerships, and world-class service, Polycom is the smart choice for organizations seeking proven solutions and a competitive advantage from on-demand communications and collaboration. For additional information, call 800-POLYCOM or visit the Polycom web site at http://www.polycom.com/.

Polycom and the Polycom logo are registered trademarks of Polycom in the U.S. and various countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. (C)2007, Polycom, Inc. All rights reserved.

Polycom, Inc.

CONTACT: Jessica Kersey of Polycom, Inc., +1-925-924-5689,Jessica.kersey@polycom.com

Web site: http://www.polycom.com/http://www.accfb.org/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]

Discussions: