Wednesday, October 25, 2000
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Wednesday, October 25, 2000 |
| Local youth's neckwear
helps house homeless
By PAT NEWMAN
Matthew Quandt, 10, of Peachtree City is a young man with amazing artistic and analytical skills, according to his mom, Theresa. The Braelinn Elementary fourth grader proved her right, after winning top honors in a contest sponsored by Delta Air Lines. As the child of a Delta employee, (Matthew's dad Greg is a pilot), Matthew was eligible to put his creativity to the test, and come up with a holiday design to be used on ties and scarves sold to benefit Habitat for Humanity. The program, and eventual contest, is the creation of Delta's flight operations employees in partnership with President Jimmy Carter, a hands-on supporter of Habitat for Humanity. The festively designed neckwear is the result of the competition in which children and grandchildren of Delta employees submitted holiday-themed concepts and drawings. The winning design is a hybrid of ideas submitted by Matthew Quandt, 10, of Peachtree City, and Sepideh Ahmadpour (age 12) of Salt Lake City. The young designers and their families were honored at an announcement ceremony where they met Carter, and the neckwear was unveiled. "Habitat for Humanity has long been viewed as an effective means of giving back to the community," said Dave Bushy, Delta senior vice president - flight operations. "One of the ways to institutionalize our Habitat commitment is by coming up with year-round fund-raising ideas such as this clever and fun holiday neckwear contest." Company employees and the general public will be able to purchase the neckwear at The Flight Station, Delta's company store. Advance orders also may be placed via the store's web site, www.flightstation.com. Prices are $19.95 for a tie and $24.95 for a scarf. The contest program was managed and funded by the employees of the firm's pilots division over the past eight months, under the direction of chief technical pilot Michael Quiello. Employees will be encouraged to wear the neckwear on-duty during the upcoming holiday season. The festive apparel items are expected to be particularly popular among members of the company's frontline team pilots, flight attendants and airport customer service employees. The two children who were the creative winners will receive a prize of round-trip Delta air travel for themselves and their families. Since 1984, the former president has been an ardent supporter of Habitat for Humanity. One week each year, he and his wife, Rosalyn, lead the Jimmy Carter Work Project to build homes and raise awareness of the critical need for affordable housing. Delta, too, has a history of supporting Habitat for Humanity. Last year under the direction of Bushy, a group of pilots and Flight Operations support team personnel partnered with Habitat for Humanity to build a house in Fairburn. Currently, the firm is in the middle of a building blitz in Fairburn and will have four additional houses completed before the end of the holiday period. As Bushy presented Carter with the tie and scarf designs at the ceremony, he said, "We appreciate your efforts in Habitat for Humanity and for setting the example for us all in community service. And I hope you, President Carter, have the opportunity to wear this special tie this holiday season." Habitat for Humanity International is a nonprofit, ecumenical housing ministry that works in partnership with business, churches, civic organizations, employee groups and individuals to build decent, affordable housing for the responsible, working poor. Founded in 1976 by Millard and Linda Fuller, Habitat for Humanity has built more than 100,000 houses around the world. The houses are sold to homeowner partners at no profit and with no-interest 20-year mortgages. Homeowners invest hundreds of hours of their own labor into building their Habitat houses. In addition to its support of Habitat for Humanity, Delta also is supporting major projects and events with the following charities this year: Delta Classic for Kids benefiting Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, March of Dimes Walk America, Boys and Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Atlanta, the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation Walk, Aid Atlanta and the Aids Walk, Scottish Rite Foundation of Utah, the Childrenís Miracle Network, American Red Cross International Disaster program and the Legacy Ski and Ride Program.
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