Employee wellbeing, volunteerism, and community outreach are important aspects of our culture at Intel Poland. This spring, employees in Gdansk were invited to log the kilometers they ran or biked during the first week of May—and Intel would match those kilometers with a donation to ‘Zupa na Monciaku’, a charity which helps homeless people.
We were amazed by the response: thanks to our employees’ efforts, 8,780 PLN ($2,300 USD) was donated to this important cause.
In the interview below, you’ll meet Pawel Magott, Field Sales Engineer and one of the biggest contributors to the event. In just one week, he ran enough to raise 615 PLN. Read the transcript or watch the video to find out what motivated Pawel to go the distance for charity—and why he encourages every employee to make the most of Intel’s matching program.
Pawel, you made a great effort for this volunteering project – almost 100 kilometers of running and 222 kilometers of biking and all of that within 9 days only. What was your motivation?
I would say that first of all it was my family, especially my kids. When my daughter heard that we have an opportunity to help others while also having fun and doing what we like, she was quite motivated already. We also had a little bit of luck because during that event we had already planned our family holiday. We planned bicycle sightseeing, so it was pretty easy to log these kilometers; that came naturally. An as for running, I like running, I usually run quite a bit. However, at that time I had 8-month long break from running, that’s quite a long break that started with a small contusion last year. But then when it healed, it was already autumn and winter, not a very motivating period. So, I needed some encouragement and that was a great opportunity to start running again.
Great, perfect timing! Can you tell me more about the places you’ve been to? I know you decided to stay even longer than planned originally. What changed your mind?
Well, yes, we visited a place close to Karkonosze, in Polish mountains, Valley of Palaces and Gardens (Dolina Pałaców i Ogrodów Kotliny Jeleniogórskiej), so you have palaces, ruins, fairy tale gardens or other interesting places for kids everywhere. There are also lots of bike trails so it’s safe for family biking. We planned only a long weekend there, but we spent more than a week!
In your opinion, what are the benefits of combining volunteering and sport activities? Would you recommend others to take part in such events?
Yeah, definitely! I mean, you know, on top of helping others, such projects give some additional motivation to help yourself. That’s one side and then looking from the other perspective, you can help others while having fun yourself. It’s great that we have companies like ours who are willing to support such projects with real budget.
What would be your wish for other Intel employees with regard to volunteering activities?
We are working in a company that helps us to help others like through charity runs, business runs, matching donations – so let’s spread the information about such projects and make sure you participate when you can. Sometimes it’s enough just to log what you’re doing* anyway, and it can still help others.
Interested in opportunities at Intel? Check out available openings in Poland or explore all of Intel’s available jobs.
* When Intel employees commit hours to volunteering, Intel commits dollars. The Intel Involved Matching Grant Program, funded by the Intel Foundation, extends the impact of volunteerism by donating cash to qualified nonprofits and schools where Intel employees and retirees volunteer at least 20 hours of service in a year. Over the last five years, the program has granted $43 million in matching grants to local schools and nonprofits.
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