Throughout November, we'll highlight a selection of this year's Purple Promise and Humanitarian award winners. Our winners are FedEx team members who never hesitate to go above and beyond for our customers, and each has an incredible story that truly embodies our Purple Promise. These men and women have given us - and our customers - so much. This is our way of saying thank you. We're not just grateful for the work that they do every day, we're grateful for our entire FedEx family across the globe.

#DeliveringThanks: A beacon of hope through the wreckage

Anthony Anander, Express Courier, Jamaica, NY

To share memories of their recently departed loved one, a family digitized thousands of photos to be used in the memorial service. The DVD containing the photos was shipped to New York just as Hurricane Sandy ravaged the Eastern Seaboard. No one expected the package to make it in time for the funeral.

Two days after the devastating storm, a single FedEx Express delivery truck appeared on a debris-lined street, maneuvering carefully between National Guard trucks. Behind the wheel was Courier Anthony Anander of Jamaica, New York. He was braving the storm wreckage ensuring residents still received their packages, a mark of normalcy in their otherwise upturned lives. When Anthony delivered the photo-filled DVD to the family, they and their neighbors cheered, smiling for the first time in days. And the family was able to cherish the photographs at the funeral of their loved one.

That day, Anthony delivered more than just photos or The
Purple Promise - he delivered hope and happiness to a grieving family.

#DeliveringThanks: Building trust, one box at a time

Qing-Hua Wen, Express CSR, Shenzhen, China

As FedEx Express Senior Service Representative Qing-Hua was wrapping up his daily route in Shenzhen, China, he received an urgent pick-up request. It was a shipment that had been refused by other courier companies. When he arrived, Qing-Hua understood why. The request was to transport an extremely valuable - and delicate - crystal sculpture.

For such a fragile object, Qing-Hua knew it would need the protection of a wooden box, but there weren't any available. Thinking on his feet, he went to a nearby carpenter's shop, but the carpenter had already left for the day. Undeterred still, Qing-Hua contacted the carpenter and asked for access to the shop so he could build the custom wooden box himself with the tools and materials inside. And he did just that. 

After packing the sculpture in its new box, Qing-Hua returned to the station with the precious cargo and sent notices to each transit station regarding the fragility of the shipment. The sculpture was delivered safely thanks to Qing-Hua's resilience, resourcefulness, and Purple Promise spirit. The customer is now using FedEx for all of his future shipments in Shenzhen.

#DeliveringThanks: On-the-fly coordination with surgical precision

Linda Dileo, Tech Connect CSR, Fort Lauderdale, FL

A medical device manufacturer in Europe prepared a shipment for a time-sensitive,  life-saving surgery in the U.S. They were shipping a skull implant from Freiberg, Germany to Detroit, Michigan. The manufacturer shipped the package on a Friday for a Monday surgery, unaware that FedEx doesn't operate Friday flights out of Germany.

FedEx Tech Connect's Linda Dileo, a Specialty Customer Representative in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, instantly took over. She took ownership of the package, personally ensuring it was placed on an airline leaving that day. Linda even arranged pre-clearance for the shipment and scheduled immediate pickup from the ramp in Detroit. 

The hospital received the implant on Monday, and the patient continues to recover after a successful surgery. To the customer, the surgical team, and especially the patient, Linda is a hero.

#DeliveringThanks: Creative problem solving comes in clutch

Marcy Tiangco, Smart Post Facility Maintenance Manager, Los Angeles, CA

Meanwhile, at the Memphis FedEx SmartPost hub, a new customer accidentally sent about 6,000 packages without barcodes - during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. With only one re-labeling station, it was going to take at least four days (and as many as seven) for the team to re-label all the packages.

Luckily, a timely coincidence had occurred some 1,800 miles away at the Los Angeles FedEx SmartPost hub. Facility Maintenance Manager Marcy Tiangco had recently developed a method to use a spare label printer to create a functional re-labeling station.

Word traveled to Marcy about the problem his colleagues were facing in Memphis. Not one to keep a good trick up his sleeve, he called the hub immediately and shared his knowledge. The result? Three new re-labeling stations that were able to handle the 6,000 packages in a fraction of the time. The customer was so impressed by Marcy's solution, he now ships via FedEx Express, FedEx Ground, and FedEx SmartPost. And he's confident we can handle anything he throws our way.

#DeliveringThanks: A very special Christmas gift

George Cunningham

A package carrying a very special Christmas gift was delayed due to the weather in Denver just a few days before Christmas last year. Manager George Cunningham felt terrible as he explained the situation to the customer, as this delivery was especially important. The special package was a Christmas gift from siblings to their sister containing airplane tickets for her to see her youngest son in the military for Christmas. He was based in Vietnam and she had not seen him in over two years.

Later that evening, George was excited to call to the customer to let her know there might still be a chance to get her package. The plane arrived just before midnight, and George made a beeline to the container that held the package, tearing into it until he found it. Even though it was late, he immediately got into his personal vehicle and drove an hour to the customer's address, delivering the tickets. 

#DeliveringThanks: Going the extra mile on foot

James Reed

On a very chilly February day in Wisconsin, James Reed was completing his route when his truck stopped running due to the extreme cold. The temperature was seven degrees with a wind chill of minus 20, and there were still packages to deliver.

So, James did what he needed to do to complete his route - he loaded up his handcart and took off on foot to complete five delivery stops within an hour. James could have reported the breakdown and waited for assistance; instead, his dedication and tenacity pushed him to go the extra mile to satisfy his customers. 

#DeliveringThanks: Teenager ejected from car is saved by courier

Juanita Braughton

During her workday in March, Juanita Braughton witnessed an accident in which a teenager was ejected from a vehicle. The teenager was severely injured upon landing on the roadway, and Juanita immediately rushed to aid him. She stabilized his neck and head with her hands, comforted him, and kept him from choking. While she was helping the young man, he recognized her uniform and she learned he was the 14-year-old son of a co-worker. Her caring voice and firm guidance urged him to stay calm as she waited with him until emergency care arrived.

The doctors have repeatedly said that if the fractures had not been stabilized immediately there is a high probability that the young man may have been paralyzed as a quadriplegic, or if the spinal column had been damaged in a particular location, he could have died.

The teenager is now alive, walking, and will start school soon.
Juanita represented FedEx well with her actions that possibly saved
a life. Thank you, Juanita! 

#DeliveringThanks: Team member saves colleague after he collapses from major heart attack

Mark Gardner

Mark Gardner was walking into the Air Operations Complex (AOC) early October 2013, when a fellow employee suddenly collapsed in front of him. Mark rushed to his aid and assessed his vitals, quickly realizing his colleague was not breathing and his heart had stopped. Mark immediately began chest compressions and CPR. When others arrived, they took turns giving chest compressions and located a defibrillator. Medics arrived and transported him to the hospital where doctors confirmed he had suffered a serious heart attack, requiring multiple stents to improve blood flow.

The doctors attributed the team member's survival to the actions of many, including those important initial actions of Mark Gardner, the first responder administering CPR on the scene. Mark reacted, without delay, to help his fellow coworker. Mark's selflessness and quick judgment, along with his team of "first responders," saved their colleague's life that day.

#DeliveringThanks: Team member rushes to the scream of 77-year-old man 

Patricia Parrish

Attempting a delivery in a rural area, Patty Parrish heard a shout from the backyard of a home. Running towards the scream, she discovered a 77-year-old man had fallen off his deck. The man, lying in the mud, was injured and experiencing a stroke. Patty moved the man from the mud, called "911," and contacted the man's wife 
and brother. Patty sat beside the man for almost 45 minutes while the medics and his family arrived, keeping him calm, and later visiting him in the hospital to check on his condition.

The gentleman is convinced that without Patty's actions, he would not be alive today. The stroke paralyzed his left side, so without Patty's help, he might have been on the ground in muddy water, injured for hours. Patty didn't think twice but rushed in to help someone in need. Because of Patty's quick-actions and courage, the man survived and is back with his grateful family.

#DeliveringThanks: FedEx driver saves man from submerged car

Jerome Swierczek

In December 2013, Jerry Swierczek finished his route and was headed back to the station when suddenly there was an accident - a vehicle with two passengers plunged into a pond. The first passenger freed himself and fled the scene, but Jerry saw the second passenger was submerged with the car. Jerry immediately pulled over to help. With the forethought to grab a hammer first, he dove into the pond
 to free the driver from the vehicle. Jerry broke the back window of the vehicle, and pulled the driver out and up to safety. The driver was taken to the hospital and released with non-life threatening injuries. Due to Jerry's quick response and his bravery, the driver walked away with minor injuries, when the outcome could have been much worse.

#DeliveringThanks: FedEx project engineer donates kidney to colleague  

Maurice Watts

A FedEx administrative assistant received a kidney transplant from another FedEx employee several years ago. After about a year, her body began rejecting the kidney, which required she start dialysis. Maurice Watts, Project Engineer, quickly offered to donate one of his kidneys to her. Complex testing for compatibility was conducted, and Maurice was determined to be a
 good match.

Maurice flew to Denver and successfully donated one of his kidneys to his colleague, who is doing well today because of Maurice's innate kind-heartedness and willingness to risk his life. Maurice's actions reflect the quality of his character, mirroring his care and compassion for others.

#DeliveringThanks: Whatever it takes to get it there - and then some

Lei Song, Express CSR, Dalian, China

It was a rainy afternoon in Dalian, China as FedEx Express courier Lei Song was en route to make a delivery of 14 packages of about 44 pounds (20 kg) each. Pulling up to the property, Lei realized the building's driveway was too narrow to drive through.

Lei parked nearby, stacked the first three packages on a handcart, and wrapped them in a plastic tarp to shield them from the rain. He started up the steep driveway, but the weight, incline, and slick pavement made it impossible. Lei could only move two at a time. He then removed his coat, wrapped up the third package, and placed it on the ground while he hauled the other two up the driveway and into the building - a building with no elevator.

So Lei proceeded to carry all 14 still-dry packages to the consignee's apartment on the third floor.

But he didn't stop there. He even moved all of the packages to a specific room in the apartment at the request of the recipient. In appreciation of his dedication, the woman offered him a down jacket for warmth, which Lei politely declined before rushing back out into the rain to complete his route.

#DeliveringThanks: Moms deserve the extra mile

Francisco Sandoval, Ground Sort Manager, Saginaw, MI

One Saturday last spring, the Saginaw, Michigan, FedEx Ground station received 38 packages of flowers. All of the recipients lived in remote, out-of-service areas, so the flowers weren't scheduled for delivery until the following Monday. This was not totally unusual, and not typically a problem. But this particular Monday just happened to be the day after Mother's Day.

Sort Manager Francisco Sandoval couldn't let all those mothers be flowerless on Mother's Day. He was determined not to disappoint them. So he called upon multiple FedEx Home Delivery business contacts. Unfortunately, because of heavy volume, no one could handle the delivery request.

He found one FedEx Ground partner that normally delivers to the out-of-service areas Monday through Friday. But Francisco wouldn't give up - he convinced them to make the deliveries that day. Through his dedication and persistence, Francisco made 38 moms extremely happy with an early Mother's Day surprise from their loved ones.


#DeliveringThanks: Service Provider saves 3-year-old from dog

Kevin Butler, Service Provider, FedEx Express

Service Provider comes to the aid of a little girl! Kevin Butler Service Provider for W6 Trucking, Inc. out of Port Angeles, Washington was driving in Sequim, Washington yesterday on his way to making a delivery when ahead of him he saw a little toddler, a 3 years old girl, alone at the edge of a lawn, with a Bullmastiff dog stalking her, teeth bared and hackles raised.

He quickly stopped his delivery van, and ran between the girl and the dog. He made himself as big as possible, waving his scanner and hat in the air, yelling as loud as he could, and made sure to stay between the dog and the girl. The dog kept trying to go around him to get to the child. After a couple minutes of maneuvering, a man ran out of the house, scooped up the child, and ran back inside. Kevin now had the dog's full attention riveted on him, but was able to work his way back to the van and get safely inside.

After calming down, Kevin resumed his route without a word to anyone. Mr. Tim Johnson, the girl's grandfather called us not once, but twice, to express his family's sincerest gratitude to Kevin for saving his granddaughter from a potential grievous bodily harm or death. Kevin risked his own well-being by putting himself between the dog and the child. Thank you Kevin, your actions and quick thinking meant so much to this family and to FedEx! Kevin is being nominated for the Humanitarian Award.

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