Timberland Begins 9th Annual Serve-a-Palooza

Timberland employees and community partners will join forces to improve more than 150 local communities from Istanbul, Turkey to Steamboat Springs, Colorado as part of the company's 9th annual “Serv-a-palooza,” a worldwide community service initiative. In total, 159 Serv-a-palooza projects in 32 countries will engage 6,300 volunteers and generate 43,000 hours of service via numerous initiatives including building and refurbishing homes, community facilities and parks.

“For almost ten years, Serv-a-palooza has enabled our employees and partners to unite around a common goal: to create powerful, sustainable change through service,” said Jeffrey Swartz, President and CEO of Timberland. “In one day, volunteers around the globe will better the environment, help communities in distress, brighten the lives of countless individuals and families and make a positive difference in our world.”

Service projects worldwide include:

• Constructing a four-bedroom home at Timberland's headquarters in Stratham, New Hampshire with Habitat for Humanity that will be transported to the Gulf Coast for a family of Louisiana hurricane victims.
• Clearing brush and planting trees to create a safe and enjoyable outdoor environment for disabled children at a facility in Hong Kong.
• Restoring vegetation at an industrially polluted 60-square mile woodland and wetland reserve in Bedford, England.
• Assembling furniture, laying tile, installing fences, painting and cleaning at an education and rehabilitation center for autistic children in Istanbul, Turkey.
• Weeding, painting and cleaning senior citizen housing centers in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

Serv-a-palooza projects address a variety of community concerns, including education, youth recreation, environmental sustainability and social services. Several months prior to the event, project coordinators meet with local community partners – schools, parks, camps, community centers and social service organizations – to assess the greatest community needs and identify opportunities for volunteer service.