Applied Materials employees used a bit of engineering and sun power to raise money for the Capital Area Food Bank in Austin, Texas. The third annual Solar Car Race, challenges engineering teams to compete for the fastest solar car design.
Employees pay a fee to enter and provide funds in a variety of ways to support their favorite car. Recently, an Applied employee and one of the event organizers, Dale Morris, was featured on the food bank's website, "While the event is geared toward raising money, for many teams the bragging rights are serious business. Teams can be found huddled around whiteboards, scheming up their secret ideas that will hopefully place them ahead of the other teams," Dale writes.
The solar car race is just one of many events that employees support during the company’s annual food drive. Last year, Applied Materials employees, along with the Applied Foundation, donated over $1million to 28 food banks across the country.
