Shanghai, China, April 17, 2023 --50 years ago today, FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) launched an industry that changed the world. It was this day that marked the company’s first fully operational night and the first step to realizing founder and Executive Chairman Frederick W. Smith’s vision to connect the globe. Now 50 years later, FedEx connects over 220 countries and territories, includes over 530,000 employees, and continues to demonstrate the innovation that defined the company from the start.
Celebrating Our Team Members & Our Community
FedEx team members around the world are joining together to celebrate this milestone today —and the culmination of 50 Days of Caring — supporting to the communities they serve every day by volunteering their time and donating items to agencies in need.
Over 1000 FedEx volunteers and their families across 22 AMEA markets including Australia, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Egypt, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mainland China, Nigeria, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Vietnam undertook a variety of community-based activities focusing on sustainability and environmental protection, education, welfare, and support for the underserved.
Some of the programs undertaken include:
- Beach clean-ups in Australia, Mainland China, and South Africa, to reduce waste and build cleaner coastal communities.
- A park clean-up in Japan, and trash collection drives in India, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Egypt, Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa to help deliver a cleaner, trash-free environment.
- Planting trees in Mainland China, Singapore, India, Vietnam, and addition of plants and shrubs around office facilities in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
- Giving old fabrics in Thailand, including FedEx retired uniforms in Indonesia a new life through upcycling programs.
- Hosting educational seminars on eco-living/eating, waste segregation, road safety and sustainable logistics education being held in the Philippines, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Korea.
- Meal distribution in India as part of Akshay Patra midday meal program, providing nutritious food to the underserved.
In mainland China, a tree planting activity was organized last month in Guangzhou, and more than 200 FedEx employees and their families planted 90 trees. Last week, three in-school activities were conducting to support the FedEx Library Program and the AnQ Awakening Cloud Class in Shanghai, Chongqing and Tianjin respectively, benefiting more than 500 children. Additionally, FedEx employees in Zhuhai had a beach clean-up activities during the weekend. FedEx employee will participate in another tree planting activity in Beijing in late April. Meanwhile, the Chinese employees in different cities initiative a series of advocacy activities on eco-living, recycling and energy saving.
“At FedEx, we believe that a connected world is a better world. Over our first five decades, we’ve helped people and businesses thrive and that includes contributing our resources and our network wherever we can to make a positive difference,” said Kawal Preet, president of Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa (AMEA) region at FedEx Express. “I’m incredibly proud to see the impact our team members have made in contributing to a Better World as part of our anniversary celebrations. What unites our team members is our drive to deliver the best results for our customers, our communities, and to build a more sustainable world. We are committed to creating a future that is as transformative as our first five decades have been.”
Celebrating What’s Next
As FedEx continues to plan for what’s next in the industry, the company recently announced it would bring its operating companies together as one FedEx.
In celebration of its 50th birthday and commitment to doing good, FedEx is excited to announce the Founder’s Fund — a philanthropic endowment created to honor Frederick W. Smith and his legacy as a business leader and changemaker in communities around the world. FedEx Cares is committing $2 million to kick off the fund. Annual beneficiaries include innovative veteran entrepreneurs and nonprofit organizations chosen by team members for their outstanding volunteer engagement.
To mark 50 years since FedEx was founded in 1973, the company is continuing to organize events and share stories that celebrate its team members, shine a spotlight on its customers, and give the world a glimpse into what’s next. To learn more about the FedEx 50th birthday celebration, click here.
About FedEx Express
FedEx Express is one of the world’s largest express transportation companies, supplying fast and reliable delivery to more than 220 countries and territories. FedEx Express uses a global air-and-ground network to speed the delivery of time-sensitive shipments by a definite time and date.
Addendum:
Giving back to local communities has always been part of FedEx culture. FedEx recently announced that it exceeded its FedEx Cares 50 by 50 goal announced in 2019 to help 50 million people ahead of its 50th birthday. As one of the most extensive regions within the FedEx global network, the FedEx AMEA team has contributed significantly to this goal over the past years. Some of the key achievements include:
- Donated three charter flights to India at the peak of the Delta variant outbreak, providing hundreds of tonnes of medical supplies and thousands of oxygen concentrators to vulnerable communities.
- Provided over 50,000 children with access to quality healthcare services across Vietnam under FedEx Delivers Heartbeats Outreach Clinic program – a joint program between FedEx and VinaCapital Foundation since 2012.
- Collected over 140,000kg of garbage and plastic waste from 21 beaches in Australia, India, Japan and Singapore by the end of 2022.
- Nurtured nearly 40,000 aspiring students across AMEA through FedEx / JA International Trade Challenge over the past 16 years.
- Donated more than 30,800 books to more than 5,400 children and set up 32 libraries across Mainland China under the FedEx Library Program.
- Provided over 1,000 care packages to blue-collar workers in the UAE through collaboration with SmartLife Foundation, and joined the Egyptian Food Bank to pack 1,300 food boxes for the underprivileged in Egypt during Ramadan in 2022.
- Benefited more than 30,000 children aged 3-9 years old and their families and caregivers through 430 AnQ Safety Awakening cloud classes across Mainland China since 2020.