-Creative Fundraising and Friendly Competition Helped Company Exceed Goal-
Livonia, Mich. – Oct. 14, 2009 – On Saturday, Oct. 3, Quicken Loans’ CEO Bill Emerson proudly shared exciting news with more than 500 walkers from across metro-Detroit participating in the Walk to Defeat ALS. Emerson, who spoke to the walkers braving the rainy weather, said Quicken Loans team members raised more than $120,000 themselves to support the ALS Association’s signature fundraising event.
“I’m proud to announce that Quicken Loans and its family of companies have raised more than $120,000 for the ALS Association to help in the fight against this horrible disease that affects so many of our loved ones,” Emerson said. “It’s amazing to see that when people who care collectively focus their energy, they can accomplish miraculous things, like helping to cure a deadly disease. I want to thank all of our dedicated team members that not only helped us reach our goal, but exceed even the ALS Association’s goal for today’s event.”
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), more commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that attacks nerve cells and pathways in the brain and spinal cord. When these cells die, voluntary muscle control and movement dies with them. Every 90 minutes, someone is diagnosed with ALS and every 90 minutes, someone dies as a result of the disease.
As the Walk’s Corporate Chairman, Emerson challenged all Quicken Loans team members and its sister companies to raise $75,000 for the devastating disease that affected both his brother-in-law and a close friend. Through individual team member contributions, internal auctions for unique prizes, creative team competitions such as raffles, themed lunches, and even valet parking for a day, the goal was surpassed.
The week preceding the walk, the Quicken Loans marketing team used the networking ability of social media to launch a one-day, 10-hour online national Tweet-for-ALS campaign through the popular social media site Twitter. The TweetForALS team created a unique Web site (tweetforals.com) and added a new twist to social media fundraising by encouraging people to reach the collective goal of $10,000 with 10,000 individual $1 donations. While falling short of their goal, the team was still able to generate more than $5,000 in just 10 hours using only social media to spread the word. The site is still accepting donations, which will go to benefit the Michigan chapter of the ALS Association.
“It was important for us to take our message to a broader audience and we were pleased to see that the power of social media could be used to do something good,” said Stuart Davis, Chief Marketing Officer at Quicken Loans. “In just a matter of hours, thousands of people from across the country were able to donate a small amount that will have a big impact on improving the lives of those affected with ALS.”
The ALS fundraising event was coordinated through Quicken Loans’ Community DIFF (community relations) team. In 2008, the Community DIFF oversaw more than $1 million in company contributions to more than 100 local charities.
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Quicken Loans is the nation’s largest online retail mortgage lender and the fifth largest retail mortgage lender in the United States, closing $15 billion in home loan volume in the first half of 2009. The company closes loans from five Web Centers located in Michigan, Ohio and Arizona, and from its San Diego-based One Reverse Mortgage unit. The QuickenLoans.com Web site has been named “Best of the Web” by Forbes and Money magazine. Quicken Loans has been named to Fortune Magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” list for six consecutive years, ranking as high as No. 2. The company also has been named one of Computerworld Magazine’s “100 Best Places to Work in Technology” for the past five years, ranking No. 1 in 2005, 2006 and 2007. For more information, visit www.QuickenLoans.com.