MARS Closes Office To Host Company Wide Volunteer Initiative

SOUTHFIELD, Mich., July 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- MARS Advertising, a leading shopper marketing agency, announces it will be closing its offices throughout the U.S. and Canada for the day, as part of a Global Citizenship Day, sending its employees into the field to volunteer at local charity organizations.

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Always looking to give back to its community, MARS made a commitment to donate $1 million of agency time and funds to various charitable causes throughout the course of 2013. This program, called the Start Small Initiative, includes activities like Global Citizenship Day, where its employees volunteer at various organizations in regions where they are located. Today's event is just one small step towards reaching this ambitious philanthropic pledge.

"The team at MARS is very excited about our Start Small Initiative as well as having the opportunity to make a real difference in our respective communities," said Rob Rivenburgh, Chief Operating Officer. "We are hoping today's event is the first of many more to come and that our time and funds will have a positive impact on each supported charity."

MARS' flagship office in Southfield, Michigan, will be packing meals at Gleaners, a local food bank. Other MARS offices, including Chicago, Bentonville, Cincinnati, Kansas City and Minneapolis, are following suit by spending the day at local food bank farms and warehouses where "Martians" will be gardening, packing meals and delivering food to those in need.

Staff members in the Oakland office will be building and repairing homes with Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley while the New York City employees plan to volunteer their time with GlamourGals Foundation, an organization that inspires and organizes teens to provide ongoing companionship and complimentary beauty makeovers to elderly women living in senior homes. MARS' Canada office will also be getting involved, offering their time with Autism Ontario, one of largest collective voices representing the autism community.

In addition to Global Citizenship Day, MARS' Start Small Initiative includes individual volunteer days, agency pro bono work and an employee volunteer sabbatical, all with an emphasis on charitable-based causes and organizations. The Start Small Initiative allows Martians to give back to their local communities while building lasting relationships and team empowerment.

Interested in keeping up with the "Martians" activities throughout the day? Be sure to check out MARS on Facebook, Twitter and follow #marsstartsmall for live updates on their activities and hard work!

About MARS 
Founded in 1972, MARS Advertising Inc., is an international shopper marketing agency with over 40 years of experience and a proven track record of profoundly impacting the growth of brands through bold thinking, big ideas and actions that drive sustainable, profitable growth for clients. Known for driving shopper consumption and creating a change in consumer behavior, MARS has been named the number one rated shopper marketing agency, five of the past six years, according to The Hub Magazine. MARS is proudly certified by the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), the largest third party certifier of businesses owned and operated by women in the US. MARS has 11 office locations throughout North America and the United Kingdom with more than 300 employees.

For more information about MARS, visit www.marsusa.com or find us on Facebook and Twitter.

MEDIA CONTACT: 
Jennifer Graybeal
Overit
Phone: 518.465.8829 x 215
[email protected]

SOURCE MARS Advertising, Inc.