ANAHEIM, Calif., June 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Approximately 1,400 Astellas employees gathered at the company's National Sales Forum to support non-profits in and around Anaheim as part of its annual day of service program, Changing Tomorrow Day, where the organization comes together to roll up its sleeves and help build brighter communities. Astellas is committed to addressing the unmet needs of communities where we live and work, such as aiding those impacted by the devastating wildfires in California, supporting underserved food banks, supporting health and wellness institutions and other activities that help communities when they need it most. 

As part of the Changing Tomorrow Day event, Astellas served:

Special Olympics of Southern California: Astellas employees made team banners with inspirational messaging for upcoming summer games.

Los Angeles Audubon Chapter: Astellas employees built and decorated nesting boxes for birds and bats displaced by recent fires.

Mercy House: Astellas employees created no-sew blankets for local homeless populations.

Venice Community Housing: Astellas employees decorated pots for low-income elderly adults as part of Venice Housing Corporation's horticultural therapy initiative.

UCLArts & Healing: Astellas employees assembled canvases for therapy programs run through UCLA's Arts and Healing Initiative.

"We are very grateful to have Astellas employees take time from their busy lives to support our organization," said Bill Shumard, local president and CEO of Special Olympics of Southern California. "We rely on volunteers like those from Astellas to motivate and fuel the enthusiasm of our athletes. Through collaborations like this, we can continue to advance our mission of empowering individuals with intellectual disabilities."

Additionally, more than 500 employees participated in the third annual "One Astellas Spirit Run," raising a total of $175,000 for charities over the past three years. The 5K run and 1-mile walk took place near the Anaheim Convention Center to benefit charities carefully selected by each of Astellas' seven employee resource groups (ERGs) as they align to their missions: National Alliance on Mental Illness, El Rescate, Stellar Girls, Fisher House, Aspira Association, Rebuilding Together Metro Chicago and the Asian American Network for Cancer Awareness, Research, and Training.   

"Astellas employees value strengthening communities through volunteerism and contributed more than 16,000 hours of service to U.S. non-profit organizations in 2017," said Percival Barretto-Ko, president, Astellas Americas. "Our 1,400 employees seized the opportunity to give back to local California charities and organizations important to Astellas employee resource groups."

Astellas believes in creating resilient communities by preparing today for what can happen tomorrow. By contributing to these organizations, whether in-kind or financially, Astellas' employees are supporting a shared vision to meet the unique needs of underserved communities with resources to face the future with confidence.

About Astellas
Astellas is a pharmaceutical company dedicated to improving the health of people around the world through the provision of innovative and reliable pharmaceutical products. For more information on Astellas, please visit our website at www.astellas.us. You can also follow us on Twitter at @AstellasUS, Facebook at www.facebook.com/AstellasUS or LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/astellas-pharma.

SOURCE Astellas Pharma US, Inc.