In recognition of national Construction Suicide Prevention Week, Flintco invited Toniya Parker (in background), the director of programs and outreach from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Central Texas chapter, to give a lunch presentation at one of its Austin projects. She discussed the warning signs of someone who may be contemplating death by suicide and offered ways to help in a crisis. Flintco intern Jesus “Chuy” Vargas, a senior at Texas A&M (in foreground), provided Spanish translation. Following the videotaped presentation (also available in Spanish), a trade partner shared his personal story privately with Flintco; his brother had succeeded on his third attempt at suicide. It’s been difficult for the family, he said. He thanked the company for making the effort to talk about a painful and personal topic. #BeThe1To is the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s message for National Suicide Prevention Month and beyond. Dial 988 for free and confidential support 24/7 for people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress.

Photo by Shuhong Sun, SmithGroup

Texas A&M Rec Sports celebrated the grand opening of its $30-million Southside Recreation Center on Aug. 25 in College Station, Texas, welcoming students to the newest campus recreational facility after an 18-month build. Designed by SmithGroup and built by Manhattan Construction Group to help encourage wellness across campus and make recreation more accessible to all students, the 63,500-sq-ft center features strength and conditioning areas, multipurpose courts, a bouldering wall, group exercise studios, administrative areas and an additional 15,000 sq ft of outdoor space. The grand opening featured facility tours and included speeches from director of recreational sports Rick Hall, chief of staff for the Residential Housing Association Adam Jackson and vice president of the Division of Student Affairs Joe Ramirez, followed by a ribbon cutting by student body president Case Harris. The university predicts the new recreation center will host an average of 5,000-6,000 visits per day.

Photo courtesy of Garver

With the idea of promoting young learners to the world of STEM, Garver partnered with I AM STEM to invest in the next generation of engineers and innovators through its program in Lawton, Okla., this summer. Through GarverGives, the firm’s corporate giving program, Garver sponsored and developed the Engineer for a Week program, which introduced 60 students to the world of engineering, from water to bridges. Experts from Garver spent the week leading hands-on activities that demonstrated STEM concepts and showed kids how they’re applied in real life.

Photo by Lindsay Janssen

Brandt announced its status as a Blue-Ribbon Sponsor of the Special Olympics Texas (SOTX). Special Olympics provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. With in-person events starting again in 2022, Brandt is continuing its sponsorship and involvement with the organization.

Recently, Brandt employees participated in the first annual Guardian Games at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. This event helped support SOTX athletes through the funding of competitions and health programs. This event featured a tournament of competition, where two Brandt employees teamed up with a member of law enforcement and a SOTX athlete to compete in a variety of sporting events.

Photo courtesy of MMR Group Inc.

OSHA’s Safe + Sound campaign encourages every workplace to maintain a safety and health program. Each August, OSHA holds Safe + Sound Week to inform and educate businesses about worker safety as well as recognize the successes of workplace health and safety programs. In 2021, more than 5,300 organizations participated to promote safe practices. This year, MMR celebrated OSHA’s Safe + Sound Week at various events and jobsites around the country including the Corpus Christi office at the Kiewit Offshore Services Facility (pictured) in Ingleside, Texas, as well as the Baton Rouge construction office at the OxyChem (Occidental) facility in Convent, La.