Published May 7, 2012 at 8:32 am (Updated May 7, 2012 at 8:31 am)

Sealed with a kiss: A seal at the Bermuda Aquarium and Zoo thanks XL's Vanessa Robinson after
she and other colleagues fed the marine animals during XLs Golbal Day of Giving

Close to 150 of XL’s Bermuda-based employees chose to spend last Friday working on community projects throughout the Island.

They joined thousands of XL colleagues around the world to participate in XL’s seventh annual Global Day of Giving.

The employee volunteer day is dedicated to supporting the communities in which XL operates.

This year XL employees, dressed in matching T-shirts with XL’s new logo, worked on more than 150 projects globally to address major issues including disaster relief, education, the environment, homelessness, hunger and senior care.

In Bermuda, 12 teams of XL employees engaged in a variety of projects for Agape House, Friends of Hospice, Bermuda Hospital Auxiliary, The Barn, the National Museum of Bermuda, Bermuda National Trust, Bermuda Zoological Society, Eliza DoLittle/Daily Bread: Feed Bermuda’s Hungry Children program, the Family Center, Habitat for Humanity, Keep Bermuda Beautiful, Meals on Wheels, the SPCA and Westmeath Residential and Nursing Care Home. All the projects were employee-led and organised.

Amanda Outerbridge, executive director of the XL Foundation, said: “It was a wonderful day hard physical work and a great sense of achievement. It was also an opportunity to witness up close what a remarkable job Bermuda’s non-profit organisations are doing in the community, with limited resources.

“We were so pleased to be able to help out today. Around the world, in total we had almost 2,500 XL colleagues out working with enthusiastic reports back from locations as widespread as Singapore, Australia, Hong Kong, Italy, Ireland and Switzerland.”