The city of Glendale is proud to be partnering with Houg, a Colorado-based transportation and logistics company to bring the 6th annual Metro Mile to Infinity Park.  As the title sponsor of the Glendale Metro Mile, Houg hopes to increase both awareness and volunteerism in the community in which they live and work.

When asked about their goals, Executive Director of Business Development Joel Coen was enthusiastic in his reply. “Although this is Houg’s first year involved with the Metro Mile, it’s not the first time we’ve supported the local Glendale community. Houg has a longstanding relationship with Glendale and is very involved with one of the charity beneficiaries of the Metro Mile, DonorsChoose.org.”

DonorsChoose.org was the result of an idea that came from teachers in a high school in the Bronx. While experiencing the difficulty produced by the scarcity of learning materials in their school, they created a charity organization to help themselves and other public school teachers. Today, the organization collects money – from as little as $1 – for public school projects with needs ranging from paint brushes for art classes to instruments for music recitals to microscopes for biology classes. People can browse project requests and give any amount to the one that inspires them most. Once the project reaches its funding goal, DonorsChoose.org delivers the materials to the school.

This kind of citizen philanthropy is what Houg and the city of Glendale work hard to promote because they share an understanding of the importance of thriving communities. Houg believes that if individuals get involved with each other and reach out, lives can be changed and even sometimes saved. “A member of our Houg family was the recipient of a transplant and is alive today because someone chose to give the ultimate gift of life.  It is very near and dear to us as a result to be involved in our community and we know that our efforts to make a difference in any way we can will help another family in need,” commented Joel.

Houg, like Glendale, believes in social responsibility- putting their money where their mouths are with their involvement with other local charities as well such as LifeQuest and SEAKR.  “Houg is also the title sponsor for the SEAKR foundation and works with LifeQuest to help support our veteran population. We are also very passionate about homeless children and adoption and work with several groups to support the eradication of these issues,” says Joel Coen.

LifeQuest is a military personnel empowerment program and a transitional assistance organization that works with military service men and women to encourage and empower them with the personal and professional skills and support that facilitate positive change throughout their military careers. Their main focus is on the military’s wounded, ill and injured and supporting them in their return to civilian life.

SEAKR is a private non-profit that donates to the families of fallen soldiers and offers financial aid for those who are disabled as a result of active duty. SEAKR also works with Project Sanctuary, an organization that takes these traumatized families on retreats to help them rebuild their lives.

Houg is especially excited to be involved with the 6th Annual Metro Mile, an event that they consider to be a cornerstone for the Glendale community and its commitment to positive social change.

“We look forward to continuing to support the city of Glendale and its community.”

About Houg

Founded as a Colorado-based transportation and logistics company, the Houg Team has been in warehousing, trucking and making deliveries throughout the United States for over 30 years.  Recognized as a leader in this “time-is-money” industry, Houg is a logistics corporation that handles just about any logistical operation you can think of with professionalism and care.  Primarily handling large scale transportation such as big rigs, Houg also does warehousing, pool distribution, third party logistics
and logistics planning for new or emerging companies.

 About the Metro Mile

We are excited to hold this year’s annual Metro Mile on August 6, 2012. Racers will assemble at beautiful Infinity Park for one of Glendale’s favorite annual events. The race starts at 6:45 p.m., with pre-race festivities beforehand and post-race food and beer for all participants. All racers will receive an official race t-shirt and goodie bag, and the top three winners in each category will be awarded prizes. Proceeds from the event will benefit not only benefit DonorsChoose.org, but also the community based programs offered by the Glendale YMCA.