Continuing its track record of regional community investment, South Jersey Industries (SJI) announced that its employees successfully raised $34,000 to support the Southern New Jersey Chapter of the American Heart Association (AHA). The corporate fundraising milestone culminated on May 16, when a contingent of approximately 100 SJI workers gathered at the Ocean City Sports & Civic Center to participate in the annual Southern New Jersey Heart Walk.
The funding initiative supports the AHA’s broader operational push to reduce the incidence of stroke and cardiovascular disease through public health awareness, medical research grants, and expanded local health care access.
Beyond the weekend walk along the coast, SJI’s involvement in this year’s campaign included serving as an official host for the American Heart Association’s Heart Walk Torch Journey.
The physical corporate relay arrived at SJI’s corporate headquarters in Folsom on May 12. To leverage the torch’s arrival, executive leadership organized synchronized multi-site fundraising drives spanning three primary regional operational hubs:
- Folsom (Headquarters)
- Atlantic City
- Green Lane
The internal campaign proved highly competitive, ultimately securing SJI the designation of the top fundraising host company of the year when the torch made its final entrance onto the main event stage in Ocean City.
According to corporate leadership, the $34,000 in proceeds is earmarked for localized emergency readiness programs. Specifically, the funding will back initiatives aimed at boosting bystander preparedness, updating regional emergency networks, and broadening the accessibility of certified CPR training programs across southern New Jersey communities.
“SJI is proud to participate in the Heart Walk, celebrating our heart heroes and caring for our community,” said Wes Becker, Vice President of Customer Experience for SJIU. “Whether it’s providing education to individuals about heart disease or raising essential funds for lifesaving research, every effort counts, and we are immensely grateful to our employees and the communities we serve for their support.”
The energy services holding company, which regularly backs regional non-profit, economic development, and safety programs throughout New Jersey, noted that employee-led charity walk contributions remain a core pillar of its annual corporate social responsibility initiatives.
