We’re all individuals who want to give back to our communities in any way we can. Taking something that we enjoy doing and melding it together with raising funds for charity, it just clicked.”
Brandon Hilton is a software engineer who has always had a passion for giving back to his community. When he began working at Closure Tech, he knew he wanted to continue organizing charity initiatives.
“I believe every company should be giving back to the community they’re serving,” he says.
Brandon does triathlons and loves exercising, and several of his new teammates at Closure were also runners. So, “the first thing I thought of was finding something exercise-related,” says Brandon.
Charity Miles seemed a perfect fit. “Having the ability to exercise and also raise funds for different charities of our choosing, it just made sense,” he says.
In January 2021, Closure Tech did its first Charity Miles challenge: fifty miles per person over two weeks. They raised $500 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Brandon chose St Jude himself. He had heard about the organization from a video game streamer who regularly raises money for the hospital. The cause held significant meaning for him since one of their colleagues and friends had lost a child to illness.
Closure Tech’s second Charity Miles initiative also supported a charity with personal significance to employees. For that initiative, they did a 250-mile challenge over six weeks in the fall of 2021. Employee participation rose from 30% in the first challenge to 50% in the second, and together the team raised an amazing $3,000 for Autism Speaks.
“Closure has a few employees who have children — young kids or young adults — on the autism spectrum,” says Brandon. “This charity hit home for them.”
For the 250-mile goal, “it was definitely a challenge to get the miles, which is always good,” Brandon adds. “It helps push yourself a little more. All of us are very competitive,” he laughs. “Which helps to egg people on to get more mileage and raise more money. There was a push towards the end. We were pretty close to our donation goal and we wanted to hit it.”
Brandon is hoping to organize more Charity Miles challenges for his colleagues this year. “We’re all individuals who want to give back to our communities in any way we can,” says Brandon. “Taking something that we enjoy doing and melding it together with raising funds for charity, it just clicked. We’re helping to raise funds just by exercising. It will definitely be something we continue to do.”
Congratulations to the whole team of Closure Tech on their accomplishments in 2021! We look forward to supporting you again this year as you keep giving back to your community. #EveryMileMatters