Microsoft’s West Region Citizenship Director, Celeste Alleyne, discusses why Day of Giving is the ideal kick-off event for Microsoft’s annual Worldwide Partner Conference.
Each year Microsoft invites thousands of global partners to attend the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC), and each year we open the conference with the Day of Giving. The Day of Giving is our chance to give back, and celebrate how integral giving and community are to the Microsoft culture. It sets the tone and spirit of the conference and unites our global partners around a unique and meaningful goal.
For this year’s Day of Giving, volunteers from Microsoft and our partner organizations will join together to support the Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) and the Magic Johnson Foundation with an event that we are delighted to host and share with the community. Volunteers will convene in Gilbert Lindsay Park, just outside the Los Angeles Convention Center, to host a carnival-style event that will offer games, food and fun to the 500 children and teenagers who are expected to participate. All proceeds will go directly to BGCA and the Magic Johnson Foundation, two organizations that provide outstanding public services. I work closely with both organizations and believe strongly in the work they do to encourage young people to reach their full potential.
When children drop out of school or fail to thrive, it is a loss for all of us. By providing safe places for kids to learn and grow, the Boys & Girls Clubs of America is emblematic of this year’s WPC theme of “Winning Together.” Each year more than 4 million children and teens have safe places to go after school, supportive adults to talk to, and the guarantee of a healthy meal – all due to the work of BGCA volunteers. They deliver critical services, such as technology skills through their Club Tech programs, which help youth to succeed – even against the odds – and when the children in our communities succeed, we all win.
Please join us in this celebration, and meet us today at Gilbert Lindsay Park from 2:30 pm – 4 pm PST.
WPC gives us five full days to focus on the success of our partners, our customers and the communities that support them. Since 2003, partners from more than 130 countries have benefited from the opportunity to network, build connections and share best practices as we work with them to plan business strategies for the upcoming year. I hope that the Day of Giving inspires all participants to consider the other opportunities they have to connect and influence positive outcomes in whatever region of the world they call home. Strong communities enable strong businesses and partnerships, and we are grateful for the chance to give back and inspire an attitude of “winning together” that I hope extends far beyond WPC.