Q: Beyond the joy of helping people in need, do you think it's helped your business to be involved in these charities?
Oh, I definitely believe it has, and for a number of reasons. First of all, I think it humanizes our company, especially for those who have been touched by this disease or know someone else who has. They see us more as people, and not just as a company that is trying to make money.
And I really think it has strengthened our relationship with customers that don't even have any connection to CF. It personalizes us.
And also, it gives our employees some pride to be part of a company that doesn't just care about the bottom line. I talked to a couple of employees this morning about it, and I said, "Tell me — and don't blow smoke, I want to know the truth — what does it feel like to be involved in this kind of thing?"
I got some really honest answers, I think. One said, "It's nice to know that you're working for a goal that's not just a sales goal." [Mermaid has charitable fundraising goals, which it tracks.]
I just feel it makes us closer as a group, when people are brainstorming, thinking, "How can we make it better, what else can we do?"
