LS&Co. Unzipped

Welcome to our blog. Here’s where you’ll find a “behind-the-seams” look at what’s going on with Levi Strauss & Co. You’ll hear from a variety of voices, from both inside and outside the company. And you have the chance to share your thoughts. So read on — and weigh in!

Jun 14 2011

Bicycles Built for 50

I cried at work last week, and I’m not ashamed to admit it.

A bit of background. One of my responsibilities here at Levi’s® is to help put together the annual sales conference for our retail managers from across the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

The conference is a big deal, and it requires months of planning. The ultimate goal is to send our managers off feeling energized, so they can then motivate their teams and better connect with our consumers.

Another important part of all of our field meetings is giving back to the community. And for last week’s conference in Palm Springs, Calif., we had the chance to do something particularly special: Build bicycles for disadvantaged kids in Riverside County.

When I first heard about this opportunity, I couldn’t help but remember back to when I received my first bike. I come from a poor background and knew even back then that my family had sacrificed much to get me that bicycle. It was a dream come true.

All of these years later, I realized that we had the opportunity to turn dreams into reality for dozens of children. Our efforts were made all the more rewarding when we learned the kids receiving the bikes had overcome adversity to not only earn good grades, but also be model citizens in their classrooms and communities.
 
We went at it full force. We were ready to get down and dirty – whatever it took to make these bikes special. The kids had worked hard to receive this honor, and there was no way our team was going to let them down. If you haven’t assembled a bicycle, please trust me when I tell you that it can be a bit of a challenge. But – in this setting – it’s also absolutely worth it.

Perhaps the best part was being on hand to see the kids receive their bikes. We had led our attendees to believe the delivery would be done offsite, away from our conference. So you can imagine the emotion that filled the room when 50 children walked on stage, bike helmets in hand and smiles plastered across their faces.

It’s hard not to cry when you realize that you helped make a child’s dream come true. And believe me, I wasn’t the only one shedding tears.
 
I don’t know if there are words that can accurately convey the excitement and energy that was in the room that morning. I do know that all the work invested in that meeting was completely worthwhile. And being part of it makes me believe I have the best job in the world -- working with people and a company that truly care.

 

Levi's Bike Project 1  Levi's Bike Project 2 Levi's Bike Project 3  Levi's Bike Project 5 Levi's Bike Project 6

Posted By: Richard Gomes, Senior Manager, Levi's® Brand Retail Communications

 Bookmark and Share
 

Tags: Levi's®,Social Responsibility

Before posting your comment, please read the Blog Guidelines.

Ryan Smyser (not verified) - Jun 21 2011
Richard so many of us had such an inspirational and sometimes emotional experience at this years FLC. There was so much energy and excitement in that room during the volunteer event! I truly enjoy and love working for a brand and a group of passionate people that does so much to inspire others personally and professionally. Thank you for all your hard work that went into planning this years conference! Ryan, 204

Nicole (not verified) - Jun 16 2011
This is the exact reason I dream of working for this company.

Post new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
By submitting this form, you accept the Mollom privacy policy.

Before posting your comment, please read the Blog Guidelines.

We welcome your comments.

When submitting a blog comment, please consider the following guidelines:

  • Focus on the topic
  • Be constructive and considerate
  • All submissions are subject to the terms set forth in our Terms of Use

This is a moderated blog. Each comment will be reviewed. We reserve the right not to post your submission if it’s off-topic or contains any of the following types of content or violates other guidelines:

  • Obscenities, discriminatory language, or other language not suitable for a public forum
  • Advertisements, “spam” content, or references to other products, offers, or websites
  • Email addresses, URLs, phone numbers, physical addresses or other forms of contact information
  • Critical or spiteful comments on other posts on the page or their authors

In addition, if you wish to share feedback with us about product selection, pricing, ordering, delivery or other customer service issues, please do not submit this feedback through this blog. Instead, contact us here.