Metro Taxi Receives American Red Cross’ Pearce Award

Metro Taxi Receives American Red Cross’ Pearce Award
for OutstandingVolunteerism and In-Kind Contributions

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (July 17, 2009) – The South Central Chapter of the American Red Cross (ARCSCT) presented Metro Taxi with the Pearce Award at the nonprofit’s annual “Volunteer & Recognition Dinner” held recently at the New Haven Lawn Club. The Pearce Award is given each year to a business offering extraordinary volunteerism and in-kind contributions. The award is named after Herbert H. Pearce, founder of H. Pearce Real Estate Co. in New Haven, a business and community leader and longstanding donor to ARCSCT.

Last summer, the ARCSCT forged a “Community Partnership” with Metro Taxi, Connecticut’s largest, full-service cab company, as an innovative way to receive year-long support for many of the American Red Cross’ most pressing and challenging societal needs. ARCSCT already has existing Community Partnerships with the United Way of Greater New Haven, Community Health Network of Connecticut, Inc., Easter Seals-Goodwill Industries, Shore Publishing, LLC, Connecticut Parent, and WTNH News Channel 8 and Fox 61/WTIC TV.

“The American Red Cross of South Central Connecticut is pleased to honor our Community Partner, Metro Taxi, with this year’s Pearce Award,” said CEO Charles Frey. “On an ongoing basis, Metro Taxi provides opportunities for helping the Red Cross to help its neighbors in need by raising much-needed awareness and funds. Whether it is stationing its cars in each town in our jurisdiction to collect food, toys, clothing and funds, partnering on health and safety fairs and seminars that raise awareness of life-saving skills and healthy living, or promoting the core services of Red Cross on its taxi top billboards, Metro Taxi is a valuable partner and vital to the success of our mission, locally and globally.” Frey also credited Metro Taxi for “helping to shape the future of service delivery in Connecticut.”

On a pro bono basis, Metro Taxi recently created a taxi-top advertisement for the American Red Cross to offer its nonprofit Community Partner a street-smart solution to driving its brand to new destinations and demographics throughout the state and around the clock.

Metro Taxi will again co-sponsor ARCSCT’s signature fund-raising gala, “Paint the Town Red Shoreline Gala: A Night to Sparkle,” to be held Oct. 30, 2009 at Woodwinds in Branford.

ARCSCT: www.arcsct.org
Metro Taxi: www.metrotaxict.com

Photo Caption:
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (July 17, 2009) -- American Red Cross South Central Chapter CEO Charles Frey, presents the “Pearce Award” to Community Partner Metro Taxi of West Haven. Named after business and community leader Herbert H. Pearce of H. Pearce Real Estate Co., the award recognizes the transportation company’s extraordinary volunteerism and in-kind contributions, which aid ARCSCT’s humanitarian relief efforts year-long. Shown here is Metro Taxi co-owner, Isabelle Scalzi, who heads up Marketing and Business Development for Conn.’s largest, full-service taxi company. She helps plan and implement many of the social marketing campaigns that comprise Metro Taxi’s Community Partnership with ARCSCT. For example, Metro Taxi produced the taxi-top advertisement in this photo to offer the nonprofit a street-smart solution to driving its message to broader destinations and demographics. Scalzi is a new member of ARCSCT’s Leadership Council.