NEWS

Australian HDR Employees Make Impact with Six Community Grants

Six community grants funded by the HDR Australia Fund will make a difference in the communities and neighbourhoods of HDR’s Australian employees. Funded by employee donations on the company’s annual Day of Giving earlier this year, the collective grants total AU$18,000. 

A RUN DIPG scientist conducting cancer research
An AU$5,000 grant to RUN DIPG will support research of diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), a fatal form of childhood cancer.

The grants include donations to local food banks across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane and, for the first time, three employee-sponsored grants that are supporting causes of personal significance to a number of staff.

The first employee-sponsored grant has been awarded to the Head and Neck Cancer Clinics at the HDR-designed Chris O’Brien Lifehouse Hospital, which opened in 2013 and won five World Architecture Festival Awards.

“My personal goal is to keep the Lifehouse Australia Trust running so they can continue to provide invaluable support for the community and cancer patients in New South Wales  in the same way that I was supported during my cancer treatment,” said Marica Pozega, an HDR senior architectural technician and grant sponsor. “My hope is that future research work will help patients in New South Wales (and hopefully around the world) with their recovery and treatment.”

Shayne Blazley, HDR director of building engineering services in Australia, also sponsored a grant. His chosen charity, RUN DIPG, is dedicated to improving outcomes for patients, families and communities impacted by diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), a fatal form of childhood cancer.

“My grant is dedicated to the daughter of an old school friend who was diagnosed with childhood DPIG in November 2020 when she was six years old,” Blazley said.

The third grant received sponsorship from HDR graduate structural engineer Katherine Riano, who is an active member of Kitty Rescue Squad and hopes to reduce the overpopulation of stray cats in Melbourne.

This organisation was created by a Latin American woman, and I’m proud to see my Latin American community supporting causes that help to create a better world,” Riano said.

Similar to the U.S.-based HDR Foundation, the HDR Australia Fund awards grants to charities that support education, healthy communities and the environment, mirroring the professional expertise of HDR employees.

“It has been inspiring to witness the generosity and enthusiasm demonstrated by the Australian team,” said Cate Cowlishaw, HDR regional managing principal. “By giving back to the communities we serve, we hope to contribute to making our society a more equitable and inclusive place.”

Read more about the latest grants.

About the HDR Foundation
The HDR Foundation provides grants to qualified organisations that align with HDR’s areas of expertise: education, healthy communities and environmental stewardship. As an employee-funded and employee-driven foundation, preference is given to organisations located in communities in which HDR employees live and work, and those with strong employee involvement. Since its inception, the HDR Foundation has provided more than $6 million in grants to over 250 organisations. In 2021, HDR employees in Australia welcomed the establishment of the HDR Australia Fund, opening up philanthropic support to charities across Australia.

About HDR 

For over a century, HDR has partnered with clients to shape communities and push the boundaries of what’s possible. Our expertise spans more than 11,000 employees in more than 200 locations around the world — and counting. Our engineering, architecture, environmental and construction services bring an impressive breadth of knowledge to every project. Our optimistic approach to finding innovative solutions defined our past and drives our future.

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