More than 60 Arthrex employees recently gathered at Vanderbilt Beach in Naples, Florida, to support an annual beach cleanup effort in partnership with The Healthy Earth Organization (THEO).
This year's cleanup coincided with sea turtle nesting season, when litter can pose risks to nesting turtles and hatchlings. Together, volunteers collected nearly 250 pounds of trash and debris from the beach.
"Southwest Florida has some of the most beautiful beaches in the country," said Brandon Heim, Arthrex indirect sourcing and procurement manager. "When there's an opportunity to help keep those beaches pristine, it connects with people in a very real way."
What began as a volunteer initiative organized by a small Arthrex team in 2023 has grown into a company-wide community service event involving employees from multiple Southwest Florida locations. Many participants used their Volunteer Paid Time Off hours, a benefit that allows employees to support nonprofit organizations and community service initiatives during work hours.
"As Arthrex continues to grow and evolve, so has our annual beach cleanup," said Heim, who has coordinated the volunteer event for the past four years.
THEO is a Southwest Florida-based nonprofit is dedicated to reconnecting people to food, nature and community through environmental stewardship, volunteer engagement and sustainability initiatives. Arthrex partners with THEO because of the organization's strong commitment to protecting local ecosystems and mobilizing community volunteers to help preserve the natural resources that make Southwest Florida a special place to live and work.
For many participants, the event provided an opportunity to support an important environmental cause while giving back to the community they call home.
"The beach is very important to me, so if I can help with cleanup efforts, no matter what beach, I will do it," said Gerri Jobes, Arthrex field logistics services supervisor.
Through volunteer initiatives like the annual beach cleanup, Arthrex employees continue to support environmental stewardship and strengthen partnerships in the communities they call home.
