Citizens served by United Way provider agencies in Northern New Mexico and Santa Fe will benefit from $1.5 million contributed by Los Alamos National Laboratory employees and Los Alamos National Security, LLC, which manages the Lab.
"Our Los Alamos employees can take pride in this accomplishment," said Laboratory Director Michael Anastasio. "Once again, Laboratory personnel have shown their generosity and support of our Northern New Mexico communities."
Through an online pledging system, personal checks, and a series of special events last fall, Los Alamos National Laboratory employees raised $727,000 for the Northern New Mexico/Los Alamos United Way and United Way of Santa Fe County programs, said Lillian Montoya-Rael, Los Alamos' Community Programs Office director.
When Los Alamos National Security, LLC assumed the management -and -operations contract for the Laboratory, it pledged to match employee contributions to United Way dollar-for-dollar up to $1 million.
"We are pleased to support the essential work that United Way agencies provide in our local communities. We also thank Laboratory employees for the support they have demonstrated by participating in this year's campaign," Anastasio added.
Former Deputy Director John Mitchell recently presented symbolic checks to United Way at a quarterly breakfast meeting in Pojoaque with community leaders from throughout Northern New Mexico.
Laboratory employees traditionally have been generous contributors to local United Way giving campaigns. For six consecutive years, for example, Laboratory employees have been the largest contributor to Santa Fe's United Way program. Last spring, the Laboratory received a "Raise the Roof" award for contributing more than $104,000 in pledges and donations to the United Way of Santa Fe County.
The Laboratory's annual United Way giving campaign starts in late September and ends in November. The Community Programs Office coordinates the Laboratory United Way giving campaign.
Los Alamos National Laboratory, a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security, is operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC, a team composed of Bechtel National, the University of California, The Babcock & Wilcox Company, and the Washington Division of URS for the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration.
Los Alamos enhances national security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health, and global security concerns.