21 Nov Saxon Shoes given Impact Award
Gary Weiner knows giving back to the community is as important as running a business.
His family’s Saxon Shoes has donated thousands of new shoes to needy school children over the years. The company’s stores in Short Pump Town Center in Henrico County and Spotsylvania Towne Centre near Fredericksburg also have collected shoes to distribute to needy adults.
And the retailer’s employees work with disabled and autistic students from Henrico to provide on-the-job training.
The company’s community efforts were a key reason why Saxon Shoes, founded in 1953, won the 2013 Impact Award from the Greater Richmond Chamber in the large-business category.
Holiday Barn Pet Resorts, a kennel, day camp and “spa” with two locations in the Richmond area, received an Impact Award in the small-business category.
The two awards, and other awards, were announced at the chamber’s annual ceremony at the Richmond Marriott Wednesday night.
The Impact Award recognizes local businesses that have made an impact on the region’s economy, and contributed to the community and to the lives of their employees through innovation in their industries.
“I was brought up in a family set on helping other people and doing the right thing,” said Weiner, president of Saxon Shoes and son of the company’s founders. “Those principles are good for longevity.”