Community Involvement

June 2023 – I-77 Express hosted its 2^nd annual Emergency Response Drill. This year, local first responders and I-77 workers simulated a crash that involved an overturned tanker, sitting on top of a crushed car. First responders used the jaws of life to remove the passenger from the car, and quickly and safely cleaned up the scene.

August 2023 – I-77 Express and Mecklenburg County came together to help county residents use the Express Lanes for free. Creating the trial program, I-77 C.A.R.E.S, eligible county residents who receive Food and Nutrition services can sign up to ride the Express Lanes for free, 5 times a month. Currently, over 720 people are in the program.

August 2023 – Just before school gets back in session, I-77 employees made sure to keep our local community fed. Workers brought in dozens of canned goods, pasta, and other items, to give a big donation to Loaves and Fishes.

August 2023 – I-77 Employees spent part of their weekend cleaning up a low-income neighborhood and sorting school supplies for Caterpillar Ministries. Kona Ice even stopped by to help cool off neighbors and volunteers.

September 2023 – Charlotte’s annual Around the Crown 10K, encourages everyone, to put one foot in front of the other, to help move Charlotte forward. As part of that goal, I-77 Express sponsored the race, helping to shut down part of I-277 as well as the Express Lanes on I-77. This year, I-77 also sponsored the “Queen’s Climb” the half-mile hill located on I-277, giving away $100 gas cards and detailing kits to the fastest runners.

September 2023 – I-77 sponsored the “Fast Serve Contest” at this year’s Charlotte Amateur Tennis Tournament. The tournament was founded by Charlotte City Council and community leader, Malcolm Graham. All proceeds from the tournament benefit The Cynthia Graham Hurd Foundation for Literacy & Civic Engagement, a foundation named after Graham’s sister. On June 17, 2015, Cynthia was one of nine people tragically shot while attending a bible study at Emanuel AME Church. Her foundation continues her work and legacy through instilling a love and appreciation of reading and creating positive change in our communities.

September 2023 – Racing for a cure! I-77 Express, along with Ferrovial, an I-77 Express investor, raised thousands of dollars for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital’s annual walk/run! Between I-77 Express and other Ferrovial businesses, we managed to raise $43,939.

October 2023 – I-77 Express partnered with the Dottie Rose Foundation through a $15,000 donation, to help invest in tomorrow’s engineers! Thanks to the “Fill Her Shoes” campaign, 40 young girls got to use their engineering skills to create a custom shoe that represents a successful woman in Charlotte.

November 2023 – I-77 Express hosted the 2nd annual “Applause for a Cause.” This year, five local musical acts were paired with a local non-profit. At the end of the night, crowd noise was used to determine the winner. Time Out Youth won the grand prize of $15,000, but every non-profit walked away winning a donation.

February 2022 – I-77 Mobility Partners donated over $12,000 to Walter G. Byers school for a new aquaponics lab. This donation from I-77 Mobility Partners will create new partnerships with the school and the community by showing students different career fields in science, agriculture, and entrepreneurship.

June 2022 – In an emergency, every second counts. That’s why I-77 Express partnered with local first responders to help simulate an actual crash. This year included an overturned school bus, as well as a live helicopter landing zone.

August 2022 – As a way to support the several communities I-77 Express operates in, our organization joined law enforcement in Kannapolis for National Night Out. The annual community-building campaign helps promote police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, and a more caring place to live.

September 2022 – Charlotte’s annual Around the Crown 10K, encourages everyone, to put one foot in front of the other, to help move Charlotte forward. As part of that goal, I-77 Express sponsored the race, helping to shut down part of I-277 as well as the Express Lanes on I-77.

September 2022 – I-77 Express sponsored the “Fast Serve Contest” at this year’s Charlotte Amateur Tennis Tournament. The tournament was founded by Charlotte City Council and community leader, Malcolm Graham. All proceeds from the tournament benefit The Cynthia Graham Hurd Foundation for Literacy & Civic Engagement, a foundation named after Graham’s sister. On June 17, 2015, Cynthia was one of nine people tragically shot while attending a bible study at Emanuel AME Church. Her foundation continues her work and legacy through instilling a love and appreciation of reading and creating positive change in our communities.

October 2022 – I-77 Express Partnered with the Roc Solid Foundation, to build a new playset for 9-year-old Gracie as she continues her fight against cancer.

November 2022 – I-77 Express hosted its first annual “Applause for a Cause.” Four different bands helped four nonprofits win a share of $22,000. Ultimately, Feed NC walked away with the top prize of $10,000.

November 2022 – Ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, I-77 employees started a donation box for Loaves and Fishes at our office. Over the next month, employees brought in 159 pounds of food to donate to the local non-profit.

December 2022 – I-77 Express spent part of the holidays giving back to the kids staying at the Ronald McDonald house and delivering everything on the family’s holiday wish lists, including new toys, cleaning supplies, and plenty of snacks!

December 2022 – I-77 employees returned to the Ronald McDonald House on New Year’s Eve to help give families a relaxing and fresh home-cooked meal.

June 2020 – Ferrovial, an I-77 Express investor, contributed $54,000 to Loaves & Fishes in Charlotte to help them combat the growing food insecurity in Mecklenburg County. With job loss numbers rising due to COVID-19, Loaves & Fishes is using the donation to support individuals and families needing assistance with groceries and other wellness necessities.

June 2020 – I-77 Express partnered with Crisis Assistance Ministry through a $10,000 donation to support their economic stability services. Crisis Assistance Ministry specializes in providing utility and rent payments for families in economic crisis.

May 2020 – Recognizing the immense need to combat food insecurity within the Charlotte region during the COVID-19 crisis, Ferrovial, an I-77 Express investor, gave $67,500 to Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina in Charlotte. Second Harvest is directly addressing the increased need for groceries from community members who have been economically hit hard as the result of COVID-19.

May 2020 – COVID-19’s economic impact has strained the capacities of nonprofit agencies throughout the I-77 Express corridor. I-77 Express responded to this need by extending a hand to FeedNC in Mooresville, NC, with a $5,000 contribution.

July 2021 – To assist in the ongoing preventative measures against COVID-19 transmission within local schools, I-77 Express gave Blythe Elementary School 1,700 KN95 protective masks.

June 2021 – COVID-19 prevention remains significant for the community, and local schools are taking precautions to ensure the safety of students and staff. To assist their efforts, I-77 Express reached out to one of our partner institutions, Walter G. Byers School, and gave them 3,000 KN95 protective masks.

May 2021 – Through a collaboration between I-77 Express and Bowman Development Group, a large rock was acquired and delivered to the Greenville community near uptown Charlotte. It will be used as the anchor of a future tranquility garden.

May 2021 – I-77 Express donated computers to E2D – a nonprofit whose mission is to provide digital technology for students within Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools who do not have easy access or means to acquire the technology.

February 2021 – I-77 Express gave $12,500 to North Mecklenburg High School to enhance STEM education and programming for between 400 to 500 students in the school’s Career & Technical Education division.

February 2021 – I-77 Express donated 11 Swivl CX5 robots to the school in an effort to address the challenges of remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The robots connect to instructors’ mobile devices within a stationary location in their respective classrooms, and they rotate to automatically follow the instructors while recording or streaming their lessons. Stands for the robots were also donated.

December 10, 2020 – I-77 Express delivered 25 holiday meal boxes to Angels & Sparrows Soup Kitchen filled with hams, items for great sides/desserts and grocery store gift cards to help create full holiday tables this season. COVID-19-related restrictions prevented Angels & Sparrows from having their usual community Christmas dinner, so they provided patrons with the meal boxes to make their holiday dinners at home.

November 13, 2020 – I-77 Express donated 552 lbs. of food (turkey, ham, corn, green beans and more) to FeedNC to help families create a holiday meals at home. FeedNC was unable to host their usual community holiday meal, so they took great effort to ensure every family, that would normally spend Thanksgiving with them, could make a great meal at home.

September 2020 – The I-77 Drive for Community is an annual competition for five nonprofit organizations, located along the I-77 Express corridor, to have the chance to win either a general $2,500 participation prize or the grand prize of $10,000. The 2020 grand prize winner was Carolina Raptor Center.

February 19, 2020 – I-77 Express staff members gave a helping hand to Classroom Central and the staff of Oakdale Elementary School. Teachers got to choose resources for their classrooms from the mobile store (ClassVROOM Central), and our staff assisted them in collection.

December 2019 – Caterpillar Ministries, located in Huntersville, was the 2019 I-77 Drive for Community winner and received the $10,000 top prize. The remaining four participating nonprofits (Davidson-Cornelius Child Development Center, Davidson Housing Coalition, Mooresville/Lake Norman Christian Mission and North End Community Coalition) each received $2,500.

November 7, 2019 – I-77 Express staff had a fulfilling morning with Friendship Trays preparing meals for community neighbors. From washing dishes to packaging meals, it was a rewarding experience for everyone.

August 16, 2019 – I-77 Express staff were ‘All In for Kids’ as they helped University Park Creative Arts Elementary faculty members prepare for the new school year during Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ (CMS) district-wide volunteer day. Tasks included moving books, making copies and creating bulletin boards.

August 14, 2019 – In partnership with Sugar Creek Construction, I-77 Express staff donated school supplies to 9 School Tools and Classroom Central’s school supply drive at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Classroom Central is a local nonprofit specializing in providing school resources to students and teachers.

June 20, 2019 – Six dump truck loads of mulch were hauled and spread throughout Coulwood Park by members of I-77 Express. The volunteer effort was a great collaboration with Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department to beautify one of our local recreation venues.

January 19, 2019 – I-77 Express staff and their family members got crafty during the United Way of Central Carolinas’ MLK Call to Service at Blythe Elementary School in Huntersville, NC. Volunteers created greeting cards, blankets and pictures for residents of local nursing homes and care facilities.