Release Details

WESTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--From spending the day with multiple sclerosis patients in Switzerland to cleaning up around a lake in North Carolina to working at the country’s oldest public elementary school in Massachusetts, nearly 1,100 Biogen Idec employees across the globe will participate today in the company’s first “Care Deeply Volunteer Day.”

Part of Biogen Idec’s philanthropic focus on patients, science education and supporting local communities, “Care Deeply Volunteer Day” is a pilot project designed to increase the role of employee volunteerism in those efforts. Biogen Idec has partnered with the non-profit organization VolunteerMatch to provide online tools for employees to connect with and sign up for non-profit volunteer opportunities and track their volunteer hours.

“Biogen Idec has always been focused on our patients and on supporting science education and the communities where we live and work. I believe that encouraging our employees to volunteer and recognizing their volunteer efforts throughout the year builds on our commitment as a company to make a difference in the lives of patients and in our communities,” said George A. Scangos, Ph.D., CEO, Biogen Idec. “A companywide volunteer day also promotes leadership, teamwork and pride among our employees, which are all qualities that contribute to our success.”

Scangos himself will spend the day volunteering at the Boston Home in Dorchester, which provides residence and care to more than 90 adults with advanced multiple sclerosis and other progressive neurological diseases. The volunteers will perform beautification tasks around the facility, including painting and landscaping, and lead activities for the patients, including reading and playing games.

In all, nearly a quarter of all Biogen Idec employees will volunteer 3,500 hours in communities where Biogen Idec has a presence: Zug, Switzerland; Maidenhead, England; Research Triangle Park, North Carolina; and Greater Boston, Massachusetts.

Volunteer efforts include:

• At the Zentrum Elisabeth, a community center for multiple sclerosis patients in Zug, Switzerland, Biogen Idec employees will spend the day playing games and doing crafts with patients. The interaction will give volunteers the opportunity to learn first-hand about the day-to-day experience of living with multiple sclerosis.
• At Jordan Lake in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, Biogen Idec volunteers will clean up trash generated by shoreline users and storm runoff. The lake is vital to the area, providing a drinking water source and recreation destination for surrounding communities.
• At the Mather Elementary School in the Dorchester section of Boston, Massachusetts – the oldest public elementary school in the United States built in 1639 -- Biogen Idec employees will assist the school with a variety of tasks, including moving books, cleaning and organizing the library, and assisting with students in the classroom.
• At the East End House in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which provides educational and family services, Biogen Idec volunteers will spruce up the outdoor grounds, repaint a classroom, and distribute food through the facility’s food pantry.

“Biogen Idec’s continued support has had a tremendous impact on East End House’s programs and services. We are thrilled at this exciting opportunity to involve Biogen Idec employee volunteers directly in the work at East End House,” said Michael Delia, President and CEO of the East End House.

About Biogen Idec

Biogen Idec uses cutting-edge science to discover, develop, manufacture and market therapies for serious diseases with a focus on neurology, immunology and hemophilia. Founded in 1978, Biogen Idec is the world’s oldest independent biotechnology company. Patients worldwide benefit from its leading multiple sclerosis therapies, and the company generates more than $4 billion in annual revenues. For product labeling, press releases and additional information about the company, please visit www.biogenidec.com.