Timberland Celebrates One Millionth Community Service Hour

The brand's employees, partners and communities achieve major volunteerism milestone

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May 15, 2014, 09:05 ET

STRATHAM, N.H., May 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- As a pioneering force in corporate citizenship and community service, Timberland has made positive impacts on thousands of communities around the world – from its home in Stratham, New Hampshire to the Horquin desert of China. Today marks a historic event for the brand, with Timberland employees around the world celebrating the one millionth volunteer hour served.

Timberland's commitment to corporate responsibility is rooted in community service; this milestone has been in the making since the brand launched its Path of Service™ program in 1992. The Path of Service™ program was conceived to infuse volunteerism into Timberland's DNA and culture; and as a result, community service has become a way of life for Timberland employees around the world. As part of this program, each Timberland employee is given up to 40 paid hours per year to dedicate to service, during which they create positive and sustainable impacts in their communities.

"As an outdoor brand − our logo is a tree, after all − protecting the environment is very important to Timberland. Couple that with our 22-year history of community service, and you can see why the weeks surrounding Earth Day mark the perfect time for us to pull on our boots and make a difference," said Atlanta McIlwraith, senior manager of Community Engagement for Timberland. "This year is especially exciting as we close in on our one millionth service hour. We are deeply grateful to the employees and partners who have served with us along the way. We look forward to the next million hours, and the continued positive impact we can have worldwide."

What does one million community service hours look like? Timberland volunteers have initiated nearly 4,000 service projects in 32 countries since 2010, when project-specific metrics started being tracked (imagine what that number looks like since 1992!). Timberland has also planted more than 5 million trees worldwide since the year 2000; framed and delivered 14 Habitat for Humanity houses for communities ravaged by natural disasters; and built six water towers in India, Vietnam and the Dominican Republic, providing much-needed clean drinking water to thousands of local workers and community members.

Starting on Earth Day in April and for the past several weeks, Timberland employees around the world have engaged in service projects in their local communities. In line with its longstanding commitment to environmental stewardship and community building, Timberland has commemorated Earth Day in this way over the past 16 years.

This year, the brand has hosted Earth Day events in more than 100 locations worldwide, with some 30,000 hours of service performed by 5,000+ volunteers in April and May. Today, the brand will put "boots on the ground" stateside around its Stratham, NH headquarters – with employees, partners and other community members tackling eight different local projects.

"Timberland's commitment to volunteerism has been a huge inspiration to me personally since joining the brand in 2011," said Patrik Frisk, coalition president, Outdoor Americas, VF Corporation and president of Timberland. "Timberland's rich history of sustainability is evident in so many things the brand does, from eco-conscious product innovation to sustainable sourcing. But there's something very powerful about the positive impacts that come about – for employees as well as the community − from hands-on service. One million hours is a milestone to be proud of. It is my hope that this vigorous celebration will inspire companies and individuals around the globe to take action in their own communities."

About Timberland
Timberland, a wholly owned subsidiary of VF Corporation, is a global leader in the design, engineering and marketing of premium-quality footwear, apparel and accessories for consumers who value the outdoors and their time in it. Timberland markets products under the Timberland^®, Timberland PRO^®, and Timberland Boot Company^® brands, all of which offer quality workmanship and detailing and are built to withstand the elements of nature. The company's products can be found in leading department and specialty stores as well as Timberland^® retail stores throughout North America, Europe, Asia, Latin America, South America, South Africa and the Middle East. Timberland's dedication to making quality products is matched by the company's commitment to "doing well and doing good" -- forging powerful partnerships among employees, consumers and service partners to transform the communities in which they live and work. To learn more about Timberland, please visit www.timberland.com.