Foundation Fans: Setting the TREND

Print Page

A-
A+

Trend Micro volunteers paint curbs at Palmetto ES

Trend Micro volunteers painted curbs at Palmetto ES.

Foundation Fans: Setting the TREND
By David Ocasio
Della Williams using the resistance exercise bands

January 12 was no ordinary sunny day at four OCPS elementary schools, because they were about to get a makeover similar to the ones you see on television. There were going to be scores of people and this makeover was going to be fast. And the volunteers at Trend Micro were ready for the challenge. The global cybersecurity technology company officially kicked-off their 2023 Orlando Service Project during their annual sales convention in Orlando. The project, in partnership with the Foundation for Orange County Public Schools, was anything but micro. That’s because Trend Micro donated a total of $100,000 for paint, paint brushes, mulch, rakes, wheelbarrows, and other supplies to beautify all four schools.

At McCoy Elementary School, a DJ’s speakers were booming, while roughly 40 students yelled “TREND-MI-CRO! TREND-MI-CRO! TREND-MI-CRO!” The students held custom made signs on poster boards, eagerly awaiting the arrival of this group of volunteers. Ten bus-loads of volunteers from around the globe hopped off charter buses in red and white tees ready to descend on McCoy and beautify the campus. As they gathered at the basketball court, Eric Unger, second–year Principal at McCoy, sat atop a ten-foot ladder looking over the sea of red. “It’s really amazing for our school and our community to see what service is about,” Unger said. In all, around 490 “Trenders,” as they are called, painted walls, planted flowers and mulched the outside landscape and playground.

When asked about why Trend Micro does this, Marketing Specialist Erin Tomie said, “Trend Micro is very passionate about supporting, nurturing and enabling children. We feel they are the future of our world, of course. Trend [Micro] is very passionate about education and every year when we get together we want to give back to the community- to leave a footprint and work together to make a difference.”

And McCoy wasn’t alone in getting the Trend treatment. Trend Micro also sent 360 volunteers to the Orlando Gifted Academy, 480 volunteers to Palmetto Elementary and 370 volunteers to Shingle Creek Elementary. To put it in perspective, roughly 8,000 personnel hours of work was completed in just four hours! That truly is setting the TREND.