Small Actions Build Community

A few weeks ago, Stephen Rutherford of the Carolina Hurricanes called and asked if he could send the CanesVision crew (the team that makes the in-game video) out to film players arriving for the team's development camp. A few days later I facilitated getting the crew to the gate to meet the flight of arriving athletes. 

[caption id="attachment_483" align="alignright" width="300"] RDU Police Officers Dan Pigage carries the torch for the N.C. Special Olympics Torch Run as it passes through the airport.[/caption] The whole process took less than an hour and required little effort on our part. This week, we saw the result of their work. The Canes debuted the first in a six part series on prospect Ryan Murphy.  The scenes from the airport only comprise a minute or so but play an invaluable part of setting up the story. What was simple for us was huge in helping a valued community partner achieve its goals.  (Check out the video and look for us!) Partnering for success  Being an active member of our community is not only part of the Airport Authority's mission to provide unparalleled customer service, but it's also part of our strategic plan for success. Why? Simply put, if our community partners succeed then we succeed and the region thrives. In short, we depend on one another. Defining community  So who are our community partners? It's the Chambers of Commerce, visitors bureaus, economic development groups, sports teams, local governments, universities and other organizations that fuel the region's economy and work toward improving the quality of life for everyone in the Research Triangle Region. 

Recent efforts Our work with the Carolina Hurricanes is just one way we help our partners. Similarly, we recently helped N.C. State University’s baseball team document their team’s journey to the College World Series. In fact, we routinely help other local athletic teams film and photograph their homecomings from tournament visits. Away from the terminals, the Airport Authority just delivered school supplies to the Durham Rescue Mission that our employees have been busily collecting the past few weeks. The Mission is our employee outreach effort for 2013, and we've been proud to partner with them this year. In a few weeks, members of our staff are gearing up to complete a bike ride to the beach to further support the non-profit’s efforts. You played a key role in another recent effort. During July, RDU travelers donated more than $3,000 to the USO of N.C. Center at RDU through donation boxes located in The Shops of RDU. This money will stay at the airport and in our community to help military members and their families. And, there are many more examples throughout the year. We host the annual Plane Pull and participate in the Law Enforcement Torch Run, both of which benefit the N.C. Special Olympics. We’re also active on our social media channels helping our partners share events and activities. We enjoy being an active member of the community. It’s simply part of what we do at RDU.