Wal-Mart China receives Hero Award
Posted on Saturday, June 7, 2008
BENTONVILLE — Wal-Mart recognized its Chinese associates who had to deal firsthand with last month’s earthquake that hit that country.
The May 12 earthquake killed thousands of people and left millions homeless.
Wal-Mart China associates received the retailer’s Hero Award at the Wal-Mart Shareholders Meeting on Friday.
Wal-Mart associate Jonathan Dong, who lives in Beijing, said four associates were killed in the earthquake, and numerous others lost loved ones in the disaster.
“ We are proud of the international support that we have received from the Wal-Mart world, ” Dong said.
Earlier this week, Dong said Wal-Mart Brazil presented Wal-Mart China with a check for $ 130, 000 to aid in disaster relief.
“ They were touched in giving the check, ” Dong said. “ It was a touching moment especially since the money came from Wal-Mart Brazil associates. ”
“ I feel very proud, ” said Martin Wang, a Wal-Mart associate at China’s home office in Shenzhen. “ It was a strong team spirit. ”
Wang said that immediately after the earthquake the focus was on locating associates. Ten stores were able to open a day after the earthquake.
Only one store remains closed because of structural damages, Wang said.
Susan Chambers, vice president of the People Division, said the Wal-Mart China associates worked tirelessly to help their communities.
The Chinese associates wore red heart stickers on their shirts on Friday.
“ Be strong, be brave, ” a Chinese associates told the audience. “ Our company and our people can make a difference. ”
The retailer also recognized Lansing, Mich., associate Patty Bentley with a Hero Award. Bentley organized a Gold Star event for military families. She also helped raise money to build a memorial.
A Hero Award was given to paralyzed associate Kenny Maestas, co-manager of Wal-Mart Supercenter No. 1384 in LaJunta, Colo. Life was breezing along beautifully for Maestas until 1987, when the vehicle he was a passenger in slipped off the soft shoulder of a country road. The truck rolled several times and Maestas, then 23, was ejected. The accident left him paralyzed from the waist down and with limited use of his arms.
Confined to a wheelchair, Maestas was devastated. He struggled to come to grips with it for several years — until deciding to take life back into his own hands in the early 1990 s. He returned to school and earned three degrees, while finishing first in his class at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. But when he started looking for jobs, he quickly became discouraged.
“ I got all these interviews and almost always became a finalist, but never got the job, ” Maestas. “ There’s a stigma out there. Companies saw me in my wheelchair — I’d have spasms once in a while — and that seemed to be the end of it. ”
Then Wal-Mart stepped forward.
“ I went to a job fair in February 2000 and met with a Wal-Mart store manager, ” Maestas said. “ I just said, ‘ I want you to be honest with me. Do you believe I can do this job ? Do you believe I can be a manager ? ’ Wal-Mart believed in me and gave me a chance. ”
Today, Maestas organizes regional and statewide events in Colorado to promote equal job opportunity for individuals living with handicaps.
“ When the world sees limitations, Kenny sees possibilities, ” said an associate during a video celebration of Maestas’ accomplishments.
Reporter Jeff Mores contributed to this story.
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