Nine community volunteers received awards and grants for their chosen charities as part of DuPont’s Employee Volunteer Recognition Program. The nine local charities will each receive a check for $1,000 on behalf of the DuPont DeLisle employees who donate their time and efforts to each organization.

Each year, DuPont sponsors this program to recognize its employee volunteers while at the same time rewarding those employees’ favorite charities. To qualify for the program, the employee or group of employees must have demonstrated an outstanding level of service to a community-based nonprofit organization and must be considered a contributor by supervisors and peers.

“Throughout the past 26 years, DuPont DeLisle employees have worked to create a long history of involvement in the Gulf Coast community,” said Marc Holman, DeLisle plant manager.  “Our employees volunteer their time in educational activities, health and human service agencies, the arts and with environmental groups in an effort to make the community in which we live a better place for everyone.”  The City of Pass Christian recently awarded DuPont the key to the City for its philanthropic efforts.

The groups that will receive contributions are: the Pass Christian School District, the Pass Christian Unit of the Boys & Girls Club, the March of Dimes Walk America, the Coast Chamber of Commerce, Mount Zion Methodist Church, the Nature Conservancy, St. Rose de Lima Church and the Harrison County School District robotics program.

This year’s winners are:

The DeLisle Information Technology Recovery Team consisting of Jody Jackson and Beth Matthews won for their work assisting the Pass Christian School District.  After Katrina destroyed all communication systems for the district, Jody and Beth led an effort to get the kids back in school, donating their expertise assessing the communication needs, ordering parts and organizing volunteers and contractors to implement the newly acquired systems.   The team also determined computer needs and supervised delivery and installation.

Duane Wilson assisted in organizing a golf tournament as a fundraiser for the Boys & Girls Club. The tournament raised $15,400 for the Pass Christian Unit of the Boys and Girls Club providing much-needed funds for the unit after the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina.

DuPont’s WalkAmerica Team led by Kathy Evans and consisting of Marguerite Mayfield, Bernadette Colman, Be Fischer, Lawankia Williams and William Robinson. WalkAmerica team members were integral in assisting the organization raise money for research to help expectant mothers and premature babies or babies with birth defects. The team captain worked closely with the chairman of the walk to ensure contribution goals were met.

The DuPont Cooking Club led by Pat Toomey and consisting of Bob Foulon; Donnie Ladner; Keith Alexander, Sr.; Frank W Taylor; Mike Simpson; Earl Saucier; David Lacoste; Rick Collins; Cathy Peterson; Theodore Mumme, IV; Charles Lally; Greg Fortenberry and Patricia Nichols assisted in critical fundraising efforts for the Coast Chamber throughout the past year. The Coast Chamber lost all of its offices in Biloxi, Gulfport, Long Beach and Pass Christian as a result of Katrina. DuPont DeLisle employees spent countless hours helping the Chamber get back on its feet. Through activities as a board member, former plant manager Pat Nichols was instrumental in helping secure a temporary office, fully equipped for the six staff members who had been displaced. Pat recruited members of the DuPont Cooking Club to help in critical fundraising events. Because of efforts of Pat and the cooking team, the Chamber was able to resume the much needed services to the business and civic communities of Harrison County.

The DuPont Kite Team led by Ricky Spade and comprised of Pat Nichols, Keith Alexander, Vince Stutts, Marguerite Mayfield, Kevin Gallagher, Sandy Allen, Tommy Melton, Krystle Whitney, Chuck Lally, Ricky Spade, David Lacoste, Tammie Ingram, Donnie Ladner, Jerry Boggess, Sany Morrison, Robert Morrison, Al Allen, Randi Cuevas and Preston Weeks. After the Chamber lost everything and the City was devastated, the annual Long Beach Kite Fest was not going to take place. The DuPont Kite Team came in and assisted with everything to make the event happen. Chamber officials said every time they came upon a stumbling block, the DuPont Team was there with a solution. This was the first event held on the beach since Hurricane Katrina and without DuPont's Team, they wouldn't have been able to pull it off. It's a family event that raised around $8,000 for the Chamber.

After Katrina, the DeLisle Community was devastated. Pat Nichols, immediately reached out to help find a way to give hope and balance to our children. She worked with officials of Mount Zion Methodist Church to implement Camp Noah, a series of one week sessions providing a positive place for kids to go during the summer months. Pat attended planning sessions; organized countless meetings; provided food, drinks and a tent; provided maintenance of the grounds, served on the welcoming committee and participated in graduation ceremonies.

As a Board Member of the Nature Conservancy, Pat Nichols served as Chair of the organization’s mitigation bank. Nichols helped to develop a communication program to market the Nature Conservancy's Mitigation Bank. Through the volunteer recognition program, The Nature Conservancy will receive a $1,000 award.

Rhonda Labat has been one of St Rose de Lima'smost dedicated volunteers for more than 30 years. Hurricane Katrina brought the best out of Mrs. Labat. In spite of her personal losses, she joined the St. Rose Hurricane Task Force, a community outreach organization, to coordinate the distribution center that served thousands of people in Hancock County. She spent about 15-20 hours a week to help with the shopping and cooking for the volunteers as well as doing housekeeping chores in the school that housed them. Mrs. Labat also coordinated the work orders for the more than 3,000 volunteers who worked through the outreach program. St. Rose DeLima Church will be the recipient of the $1,000.

Steve Phillips organizes robotics teams, the building of robots and taking them to robotics competitions, to show children how math and engineering can apply in the real world. He gives freely of his time working with between 4 and 6 schools throughout the Mississippi Coast leading and directing children in this process. The program teaches problem solving skills, creative thinking and understanding engineering principles that help develop the kids’ minds. It also introduces children who may not know what engineers do to engineering as a viable career option. It teaches "team" skills to the kids by assigning different tasks to each member of the robotics team. Schools around the Coast are trying to get Steve to implement teams for them and the Harrison County School District will receive $1,000 to go toward more robotics programs.

DuPont DeLisle congratulates all of those being honored on the hard work to ensure the Mississippi Gulf Coast is a better place for everyone. To learn more about DuPont DeLisle, visit our website at www.delisle.dupont.com.

DuPont is a science-based products and services company.  Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere. Operating in more than 70 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture and food; building and construction; communications; and transportation.