In 1973, I was looking for a job somewhere near the airport that was interesting and exciting. That’s when a friend of mine told me about this new company starting in Little Rock that was an airline for packages - not people. My friend sent a letter to Fred Smith to introduce me and I received a letter, along with an application for employment, from Mr. Smith, telling me that they were indeed thinking of expanding the operations to Memphis.

Many of us have strong memories of our favorite childhood book. One we read ravenously in the library corner, or one your mom or dad read just before you went to sleep. But for kids whose normal routine was dramatically interrupted by Hurricane Sandy six months ago, those memories and books may be harder to come by.

On Sunday, April 7th, a record 71 employees from FedEx participated in the seventh annual Nautica South Beach Triathlon. The Triathlon benefits St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, where proceeds go directly to pediatric cancer research. Over 3,000 athletes total competed in the South Florida race and more importantly over $422,000 was raised to benefit the children of St. Jude’s. Many of the FedEx volunteers were motivated to participate because they have family members that have been afflicted with cancer and others wanted to help the cause simply as parents of small children.

If you have children, or know someone who does, you’ve probably watched children’s shows that have left an indelible mark—most notably a certain purple dinosaur with an unforgettable theme song. So, a few months ago when my almost 3 year old donned a bright yellow construction hat and requested to watch Bob the Builder®, I thought I was in for another children’s show I would tolerate for his sake. However, I soon realized Bob and his friends can actually teach our children valuable lifelong lessons.