RESERVE – Forty young students in St. John the Baptist Parish
Public Schools left their school
campuses with more than book sacks and homework assignments. Each student took home a new
bicycle and safety helmet, thanks to the employees of Associated Terminals.
Each year, Associated Terminals’ employees donate their time and money to the “Digging for Kids” fundraising program, which helps to provide happy holidays to children in need of a brighter moment at Christmas time.
Associated Terminals is one of the largest midstream stevedoring companies on the Mississippi River, operating a fleet of high capacity floating cranes.  The company is the exclusive operator of the Port of South Louisiana’s Globalplex Intermodal Terminal, which includes the cargo dock and terminal areas.
The company’s website notes that Associated Terminals employees formed a non-profit company in 1997 to provide charitable assistance to persons and organizations in need.  Since that time, one of the non-profit’s primary accomplishments has been to provide Christmas presents for children and families who are less fortunate.
“We are very thankful for Associated Terminals generosity during this season,” St. John the Baptist Parish Public Schools InterinSuperintendent Herbert Smith said.
Smith said district maintenance workers and administrative staff spent much of the day delivering the bikes to students across the parish, visiting all the parish’s public elementary schools and pre-kindergarten programs. Smith noted that Associated Terminals donates bikes to district students each year.