Philanthropic Printers — The Gift of Giving

At Times Printing in Random Lake, WI, Shawn Scholler, president, takes special pride in his company’s ongoing participation in the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. The printer has been actively involved in the relay for the past several years, and this year, it raised more than $5,000, making it the top local fund-raising team.

Random acts of kindness can be contagious, and Times employees caught “the fever of giving” a long time ago, Scholler says. Employees routinely host charity lunches, bake sales, ice cream socials and participate in scores of other benefits and fund raisers. Most recently, they led a charity walk to honor one of their own employees, Melodie Krier, who was stricken with Lou Gehrig’s Disease (ALS). The walk collectively raised more than $20,000.

Another way Times Printing gives back to its community (365 days a year) is by allowing the 20-plus volunteer firefighters and EMS technicians who work for the company to leave the plant whenever they’re needed—with pay. Ray Scholler, Times Printing’s CEO and a past Printing Impressions/RIT Printing Industry Hall of Fame inductee, is still an active member of the Random Lake Volunteer Fire Department and is one of the oldest active EMTs in the United States at 89 years of age.

The employees of Sterling, VA-based Colorcraft look forward to the holiday season each year, when their company teams with the local Head Start program to sponsor one or two needy families. “Most of the [sponsored] families live below the poverty level, and Colorcraft provides their entire Christmas needs, as well as cash for other necessities,” explains James Mayes Jr., president.

Mayes also serves as chairman of the Graphic Communications Advisory Board at the Monroe Technology Center, where he helps shape the future of the printing students enrolled there. Concerned that the state of Virginia used to have 22 graphic arts programs, but now has only five (which includes Monroe), Mayes provides internships at Colorcraft, donates ink, paper and textbooks to the school, and provides tours of his printing facility to Monroe students. Last year, Mayes even paid for one of Monroe’s teachers to attend a GATF seminar in Pittsburgh. Colorcraft also provides scholarships to Monroe students through the Printing Industries of Virginia, where he currently serves as chairman.