Walgreens Puts Corporate Citizenship on Display

Walgreens corporate citizenship was on display Monday when employees at the company’s Deerfield corporate headquarters helped two United States Marines load a truck full of holiday gifts as part of the Toys for Tots program.

The drive took place not only at the corporate headquarters but at Walgreens 8,000 stores throughout the country with the toys staying in the local communities throughout the nation.

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The Toy for Tots partnership with the United States Marine Corps and the Ellen DeGeneres show is just one example of Walgreens’ effort to be a giving member of not just the North Suburban community, but all over the United States.

“We want to help our local communities,” Director of Cause Marketing Bonnie Gordon said. “Each toy is going to stay in our local community.” The toys collected on the Deerfield campus Monday will be distributed in Lake County.

Toys for Tots is just one of Walgreens’ examples of community involvement. In June, the company employees and their families created a sea of red shirts at the Deerfield-Highland Park Relay For Life. A few days later it made a commitment to hire veterans. The company also had a large presence at the Relay events in Vernon Hills, Libertyville and Buffalo Grove.

“It’s who we are,” Gordon said. “It’s in our DNA. Charles Walgreen began the company in Chicago and part of his purpose was to serve the community. It’s part of good business to do good for the community.”

Walgreens’ efforts are not lost on local officials either. Deerfield Mayor Harriet Rosenthal is thrilled with the presence of the company’s corporate headquarters in Deerfield and its efforts toward the community in the Village and beyond.

“We appreciate everything they do as one of our outstanding corporate citizens,” Rosenthal said. “We recognize all (Walgreens) does for the good of the community and we appreciate all of it. They’ve been here a long time.”

Gordon explained Walgreens’ community efforts fit right in with the company’s marketing campaign promoting a happy and healthy lifestyle. Both Toys for Tots and Relay For Life are integral parts of the philosophy.

“Like our campaign says, we’re ‘at the corner of happy and healthy,’” Gordon said. “Toy for Tots is definitely part of happy.” Relay For Life and other health promoting programs are aimed at motivating a healthy lifestyle to keep people from getting sick.

“We want to help people prevent chronic illnesses like cancer, heart disease and diabetes,” Gordon said. “Instead of coming to us when you’re ill we want to help you stay well.”

According to Gordon, obesity has become the biggest reason people contract cancer. That fits right in to the Relay For Life.

“We’ve had a partnership with the American Cancer Society for a long time,” Gordon said. “Walking around the track all night gives our employees a chance to communicate that message.”

Walgreens is one of a number of large corporations based in Deerfield including Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Baxter Health Care, Jim Beam and . (part of Kraft Foods).