Les Schwab to award charities, volunteers

MOSES LAKE - Everybody knows those hardworking people who work in their communities to make a difference. Employees at Les Schwab Tire Centers in north central Washington are starting a campaign to recognize some of those people in the region.

Nominations for the "Doing the Right Thing" program will open May 1, and one winner from the region will be chosen each month for the next 11 months, said Randy McPhetridge, the Moses Lake manager.

The north central Washington region includes Moses Lake, Quincy and Ephrata, as well as Chelan, Douglas and Okanogan counties.

Each winner will receive a $500 contribution for their organization or project from the regional Les Schwab Tire stores, McPhetridge said.

Nominations can be submitted at the company's regional website, ncwlesschwab.com. Nominations can be made only on the website, he said.

Once a person is nominated, he or she will be considered for each of the 11 monthly awards, McPhetridge said. Nominations will be open until April 2015.

"There are people like this all over, who are unsung heroes," McPhetridge said. "We just want to make sure we honor those people that are doing the right thing in their communities."

Managers came up with the idea at a regional meeting, he said. "We thought it was a good way to give back to our communities," he said.

"We're excited about it. We think it's great," McPhetridge said. "It feels good to thank people."