IBM Celebrates Centennial with Smyrna Service Day

In continuing its well-established commitment to community involvement, and as a part of IBM’s Centennial celebration, about 300 IBM employees from the company’s Smyrna headquarters will be supporting Keep Smyrna Beautiful by assisting with cleanup and construction efforts at area schools, parks, cemeteries, roadways and waterways on Wednesday. 

IBM is marking the 100-year anniversary of its founding on June 16, 1911, with several global initiatives to engage in new ways with business leaders, academia, clients and local communities in the 170 countries where the company does business. 

But this is nothing new for the workers at the IBM Highlands Parkway office, which was constructed 14 years ago. In recent years, IBM volunteers have assisted in building construction at and elementary schools, and last year were vital in the construction of Smyrna’s Community Garden.

“We really do feel a sense of community pride here in Smyrna,’’ said Shedrick Harrison, senior IBM location executive and vice president.

With 17 Smyrna projects, IBM team members will spread out throughout the city Wednesday to volunteer to help the community.

To cap off the day, IBM will also host a technology event at its Smyrna headquarters from 6 to 8 p.m., where IBM team members will teach robotics to Griffin and Campbell middle school students. The program is designed to help students learn more about science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). During the same time, parents and teachers will get a chance to learn about Internet security. 

“We’ll show off some of the old equipment and talk about new technology,’’ Harrison said. “This really is a special celebration for us.’’

Here’s is a listing of where the volunteer projects will take place on Wednesday:

Activities / Locations / Times

• Griffin Middle School / 9:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. / Cut puzzle pieces with jigsaw, paint, landscaping.
• Argyle Bridge / 9:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. / Paint bridge ramps.
• Argyle Elementary School / 9:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. / Paint picnic tables, benches, birdhouses.
• Nickajack Elementary School / 9:15 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. / Paint interior, weed, grounds clean up, spread pine straw, pressure wash sidewalks.
• Fair Oaks Elementary School / 9:15 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. / Build picnic tables and benches.
• Fitzhugh Lee Elementary School / 9:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. / Indoor and outdoor painting.
• Hawthorne School / 9:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. / Pressure wash and paint planter boxes and benches, weed flower beds, spread mulch, trim hedge, limb up trees, pick up grounds.
• Daniell Cemetery Revitalization / 9:15 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. / Clear brush and paint chain link fence.
• Belmont Hills Elementary School / 9:15 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. / Pack and move boxes from portable classrooms into school hallway.
• Litter pick-up I-285 / South Cobb Drive / 9:15 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. / Litter pick-up.
  Stream clean-up at North Cooper Lake Road Park, Jonquil Park, Tolleson Park, Lake Court Park, Popular Creek Park, and Rhyne Park (Cobb County Park) / 9:15 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. / Litter pick-up.
• Tolleson Park Revitalization / 9:15 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. / Weed and brush control on trail, trail treadway work, replace wood seating and table tops, sand and paint benches and picnic tables.
• Brinkley Park and North Cooper Lake Road Park Revitalization / 9:15 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. / Trail work including climbing up trees, clearing brush, removing stumps from trails, and treadway work.
• Norton Park Elementary / 9:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. / Sponge paint hallways.
• Osborne High School / 9:15 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. / Paint interior, plant ground cover, lay gravel.
• Campbell Middle School / 9:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. / Pressure wash kitchen floor and paint cafeteria.
• Technology Event at Highlands (IBM offices) / 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. Teaching robotics to Griffin Middle and Campbell Middle students, and teaching internet security to parents & teachers for Griffin and Campbell.