Boston Moving Company Offers Scholarships to Students

Olympia Moving & Storage, proudly announced the Olympia Scholars Program this week, offering scholarships to student movers. olympia scholars

The scholarship program, which is available to all current and prospective Olympia Moving & Storage employees, allows motivated student movers to earn thousands of dollars in scholarships in addition to a top hourly wage.

For many Boston-area college students, working between classes is essential to paying for tuition, books, and living expenses.  Most students get jobs swiping IDs at the gym, pouring coffee, or scanning groceries.  But for some Boston students, they earn money by carrying armoires up fourth-floor walkups in the Back Bay between classes.  Michael Gilmartin, President and Founder of Olympia Moving & Storage, used to be one of these students.

“While I studied at Northeastern University, I earned money by working at a local moving company,” says Gilmartin, who founded Olympia Moving & Storage in 1993.  “At the time, I liked working as a mover because it was a great opportunity to earn higher wages than the average student while staying in shape. Little did I know it would become a career.”

Michael Gilmartin’s company, Olympia Moving & Storage has been employing Boston-area college students for over 20 years.

olympia movers“Students who work with Olympia Moving & Storage quickly learn that working here is a
bout more than just a paycheck and lifting furniture,” says Gilmartin.

  “Movers learn valuable lessons in problem solving, team work, and client management that they will use for the rest of their careers.”

After he graduated from Northeastern University, Michael Gilmartin put the skills he learned as a student mover to use and founded his own company. Since then, he has brought hired many of his student movers as operations managers, sales managers, and more.

“It’s always been fulfilling to see our student movers succeed after graduation, either with Olympia Moving or in engineering, sales, entrepreneurship, and many other careers with other companies,” says Gilmartin. “We wanted to expand that Olympia Moving & Storage tradition by directly investing in our student movers’ education. Student movers are extremely motivated and hardworking, you have to be to move furniture for eight hours straight. These are the kind of students we want to invest in, as they have the skills to succeed.”

Up to 15 Olympia Moving employees per year are eligible to participate in the Olympia Scholars program.  The scholarship recipients will earn a $1,000 scholarship per every 1,000 hours worked and can earn a maximum of four scholarships during their education.  The scholarship is available to employees actively pursuing degrees at universities, community colleges, and trade schools.

For more eligibility details, and to apply to become a student mover in the Olympia Scholars program, visit http://www.olympiamoving.com/olympiascholars or call 617-517-9878.

Olympia Moving Pulls 82 Ton Airplane to Fundraise for Special Olympics Virginia

The 2015 Dulles  Plane Pull on Saturday was the biggest Plane Pull yet in terms of fundraising, plane pull teams, and attendance. The event raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for Special Olympics Virginia athletes and 71 teams participated. For the first time, the event featured two planes being pulled!

As the Official Logistics Sponsor, Olympia Moving & Storage worked closely with event organizers at Special Olympics Virginia to make Dulles Plane Pull a success. The Washington, DC moving company donated crews, trucks, and warehousing to manage the equipment, set up, and breakdown.

For the first time, Olympia Moving ran an “Are You As Strong As An Olympia Mover?” fundraising game. Hundreds of athletes, kids, moms, dads, and even monks tried to hit the bell on the high striker to prove their strength.

Of course, the Olympia Moving crew was also eager to prove their strength and fundraised to pull the 82 ton airplane.  The crew pulled the plane 10 feet in 6.194 seconds – our best time yet!

Thank you to the generous partners to Olympia Moving & Storage who donated to our plane pull team!  All the money we raised will provide free sports training and competitions for athletes with intellectual disabilities:

To see team Olympia Moving & Storage pull the plane and all the other plane pull excitement, be sure to check out this video.  We look forward to sponsoring Dulled Plane Pull again next year!

Visit olympiamoving.com/specialolympics to learn more about our ongoing work and charitable partnership with Special Olympics.

DC Moving Company Sponsors Dulles Day Plane Pull

Olympia and Plane PullOn Saturday, Olympia Moving & Storage, a premier Washington, DC moving company, will sponsor the Dulles Day Plane Pull. This is Olympia Moving’s third year as the official logistics sponsor for this event to benefit Special Olympics Virginia.

During the week leading up to the Plane Pull, Olympia Moving has been busy receiving event supplies, managing pick ups and deliveries of event equipment, and assisting with set up and break down. All these services are donated free of charge to Special Olympics Virginia. This year, the moving company will be running a fundraising game “Are You Stronger Than an Olympia Mover?” Event attendees and children will have the chance to hit the bell on a high striker and win a prize. All proceeds from the game will benefit Special Olympics Virginia.

The Olympia Moving crew will also be participating in the Plane Pull and will pull a 164,000+ pound Airbus 12 feet in support of athletes with intellectual disabilities. The crew will be looking to beat last year’s pull time of 7.01 seconds. Olympia Moving & Storage has been fundraising for the Plane Pull over the past month, and would like to thank their following partners for their generous donations to their campaign:

The Olympia Moving crew has even been pulling their trucks in their yard to practice for pulling the plane!

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The Dulles Day Plane Pull is a popular event for Northern Virginia families and continues to grow.  Last year over 30,000 people attend the Plane Pull, and for the first time the 2015 Plane Pull will feature 2 planes for teams to attempt pulling!

It’s not too late to donate to team Olympia Moving! Click here to donate and fund competitions, sports training, and health programs for athletes with intellectual disabilities. 

Olympia Moving & Storage has been a charitable partner to Special Olympics Virginia and Massachusetts since 2013. Last year the Washington, DC moving company’s in-kind and monetary donations to Special Olympics organizations totaled almost $50,000. Earlier this year, Olympia Moving & Storage also sponsored Special Olympics athlete Amanda Church’s trip to World Games in Los Angeles. There she competed and won silver and bronze medals in aquatics. Visit olympiamoving.com/specialolympics to learn more about our sponsorship.

Amanda Church World Games Final Update (July)

Amanda Church_Olympia Moving

It has been an inspiration to be Amanda Church’s Special Olympics World Games sponsor, watch her training updates, and cheer her on. She has been on an incredible journey and we could not be more proud. Amanda represented the United States, finished strong at her swimming events, and showed the world what athletes with intellectual disabilities are capable of!

Olympia Moving kicked off World Games by driving Amanda and the rest of the Massachusetts World Games delegation to the airport. They were off to L.A. in style!

Amanda shared her final Special Olympics World Games update with us after the games:

Amanda’s Training Update: July 2015

Current Event Times:

Event Competition Time
100 Breaststroke 2:09.00
100 Freestyle 2:15.00
200 Breaststroke 4:29.00

I had a great time at World Games.  I competed in 4 events.  I competed in the 4 by 50 freestyle relay, the 100 meter Freestyle, 100 Meter Breaststroke and the 200 Meter Breaststroke.  I did great at World games and had a blast.  I even got the opportunity to meet Michael Phelps.

  • In my 100 Meter Freestyle I got a 8th place ribbon but had a great finish time.
  • In my 100 Meter Breast Stroke, I got a 5th place ribbon and also had a great time.
  • In my 200 Meter Breaststroke I got the Silver Medal. I had a great time.
  • In the 4 by 50 relay my team and I received the Bronze Medal. We were so excited.

Check out this video of Amanda in the 100-meter freestyle (lane 5, white cap) – look at her go!

Special Olympics Massachusetts interviewed Amanda after the race:

Congratulations, Amanda, on your medals and achievements!

Congrats Amanda

Learn more about our sponsorship of Amanda.

Official Logistics Sponsor of Special Olympics Massachusetts Summer Games 2015

For the third year, Olympia Moving served as the proud logistics sponsor for Special Olympics Massachusetts Summer Games!  Summer Games is the biggest athletic event for athletes with intellectual disabilities in Massachusetts, and a favorite job of the year for the crew at Olympia Moving.  The move coordinators and sales reps even donate their time to help out on Summer Games weekend.

Olympia Moving donated logistics assistance valued over $20,000 to Special Olympics Massachusetts Summer Games.  In addition to managing all the pick ups and deliveries for the event’s equipment, Olympia Moving moves over 2,000 participating athletes into their dorms and manages their luggage.  Athlete move-in is special for the Olympia Moving staff and crew because it gives them the opportunity to welcome the athletes to the games!

Here are some pictures of our crew with the athletes on this great weekend!

To learn more about our ongoing support of Special Olympics Massachusetts, visit https://www.olympiamoving.com/specialolympics

You can also read the training blogs by Special Olympics World Games athlete Amanda Church, sponsored by Olympia Moving.

Amanda Church Special Olympics World Games Training Update (June 2015)

Amanda Church_Olympia MovingAmanda Church, the Special Olympics World Games athlete sponsored by Olympia Moving & Storage, has had a busy month!  She’s entering her final training for her competitions in LA World Games in July, along with athletes from 177 countries!

Amanda gave us an update with her training!

Amanda’s Training Update: June 8th

Current Event Times:

Event Current Time
100 Breaststroke 2:02.00
100 Freestyle 2:26.00
200 Breaststroke 4:32.00

“This past weekend June 5th-7th was Summer Games 2015. I had a ton of fun. I got 4th place in the 100 Meter Freestyle, but I know I was in a tough heat, but that is ok. I am challenging myself to make sure I will be ready to try to reach the Gold at World Games. I also got a Gold Medal in my 100 Meter breaststroke, and also in the 200 Meter breaststroke. My times were awesome. I also did all these events on Sunday.”

“I am going to keep on training really hard to get ready for World Games! The harder I train, the more I feel good about heading to World Games, and looking forward not only to compete, but to have the chance to get to meet other Special Olympics athletes from all over the world.”

Wow, Amanda!  Congrats on your medals!  Amanda was also interviewed by Fox 25 during summer games, you can check out the video:

Boston News, Weather, Sports | FOX 25 | MyFoxBoston

Amanda also represented Special Olympics at the Unified Relay, as the World Games Flame of Hope passed through Boston. Here’s a picture of her on stage with Boston Mayor Marty Walsh!

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Olympia Moving was also at Special Olympics Massachusetts Summer Games, running the logistics and moving the athletes into their dorms! Check out photos of our crew with the athletes!

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Learn more about our sponsorship of Amanda.  

Amanda Church Special Olympics World Games Training Update (May 2015)

Amanda Church_Olympia MovingAnother training update from Olympia Moving-sponsored Special Olympics athlete Amanda Church! She continues to improve her times as she gets ready to compete alongside 7,000 other athletes at Special Olympics World Games 2015 in Los Angeles!

Amanda’s Training Update: May 10th

Current Event Times:

Event Current Time
100 Breaststroke 2:03.00
100 Freestyle 2:18.00
200 Breaststroke 4:26.00

“This past Saturday May 9th my Mom took me to the YMCA in Easton so I can get some training in. My Mom timed me on my 3 events.”

  • My 100 Freestyle time is now 2:18.00
  • My 100 Breaststroke is now 2:03.00, 3 seconds off my goal time which is 2:00.00
  • My 200 Breaststroke is now 4:26.00. I am only six seconds off from my goal time of 4:20.00 for the 200 Breaststroke.

“I am now swimming longer distance to help build more endurance so that I can reach my goal times and be ready not just Summer Games but World Games as well.”

“Last weekend at Life we had family weekend. One great thing that they do at family weekend at Life is a 5K run/walk. I jogged the 5K and I was the first female Life resident and Special Olympian to finish first. My name is going to be on a plaque at the Life Rec Hall.”

Wow, Amanda!  You’re a strong competitor in the pool and on the track!  Click here to learn more about our sponsorship of Amanda.  Click here to make a donation to support Amanda and her fellow Special Olympics athletes as they work to meet their goals!

Olympia Moving Launches Updater Address Change Dashboard!

Olympia Moving & Storage excited to announce our partnership with Updater to bring our clients an easy address change dashboard full of time-saving tools and discounts. The Updater address change dashboard will allow our clients to accomplish the following in just a few clicks:

Updater Dashboard
Visit olympiamoving.updater.com to access your easy change address dashboard!
  • Change your address online with the post office, subscriptions, and organizations
  • Set up utilities and home services
  • Get exclusive discounts on home services and moving materials
  • Ecards to notify friends & family of your move

This service is designed to save customers hours on moving-related tasks in a way that is easy and secure.

This new benefit, which is FREE for all Olympia clients, is just another example of how Olympia utilizes technology to provide extensive resources for our clients’ moves. Olympia clients also get access to The Olympia Move Portal to manage their move, an online moving resource center, and a dedicated relocation coordinator.

Updater also recently featured Olympia Moving & Storage marketing manager, Rachael Fischer, in their blog post: How to Market Your Moving Company: Tips from Olympia Moving and Storage

Also check out:
Stylish moving / change of address cards and e-cards
Estimating the Number of Boxes For Moving
Why is a Moving Company In-Home Survey Important?

Request an estimate from the company that provides the most moving resources: Olympia Moving & Storage

Amanda Church Special Olympics World Games Training Update (April 2015)

Amanda Church_Olympia MovingOlympia Moving’s sponsored athlete, Amanda Church, is training hard for the upcoming Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles. She was kind enough to send us an update on her progress. You’re crushing it, Amanda! We’re so proud of you and your training achievements!

Amanda’s Training Update: April 12th

Current Event Times:

Event Current Time
100 Breaststroke 2:04.00
100 Freestyle 2:29.00
200 Breaststroke 4:32.00

“Today I went to the YMCA in Easton to get some training in. I have set goal times for each of my events:”

  • 100 Breast Stroke goal time: 2:00.00
  • 100 Freestyle goal time: 2:20.00
  • 200 Breast Stroke goal time: 4:20.00

“Besides getting ready for Summer Games and World Games, The Life Program is having family week coming up the first weekend in May. I am going to be giving a speech about both of my experiences at life and Special Olympics.”

Amanda’s Training Update: April 30th

Current Event Times:

Event Current Time
100 Breaststroke 2:06.00
100 Freestyle 2:19.00
200 Breaststroke 4:29.00

“Today was my Swim Qualifier at Bridgewater State University. I competed in 3 out of my 4 events.  I even beat my goal time in the 100 Meter Freestyle . My goal was 2:20.00 and I did it with a time of 2:19.00.  I also competed in the 200 Breaststroke and the 100 Breaststroke.  I got a Gold Medal in both my 200 and 100 Meter Breaststroke, and a Silver in my 100 Meter Freestyle. I am ready to keep training for State Games in June, and World Games.”

“Another exciting thing that is coming up in my life is my brother Jared is getting married in October in California. I am very much excited to have another soon to be sister in law.”

Way to go, Amanda, on your medals and wins!  Read more about our sponsorship of Amanda.  

Olympia Driver Roberto Belony is Wheaton’s Driver of the Month!

Driver of the Month_BelonyA big congrats to Olympia Moving & Storage driver Roberto Belony! He has been selected among hundreds of drivers as Wheaton World Wide’s April 2015 driver of the month! Roberto is being recognized as the best among Wheaton’s intermittent fleet.

Roberto has been working with Olympia for 7 years and has been driving with Wheaton since 2009. He is a top-rated driver and this is his first driver of the month award. In his years working with Olympia, Roberto has become known for his dedication and high spirits and happy nature, no matter how tough or long the move. Roberto’s extensive experience shows in the way he handles every move.

These qualities are exemplified in a comment we received from a client Roberto moved interstate from Chelmsford, MA to Hubbard Lake, MI earlier this year:

“Roberto and his crew at our house in Chelmsford worked very hard and diligently packing and loading the truck and deserve to be recognized for a hard job done very well. They were very professional and courteous under a difficult situation….Just a few days after the 30 inch blizzard.

At the Michigan end of things …again Roberto and his Michigan crew did a marvelous job unloading the truck and relocating our furniture into our new home. I cannot say enough about the wonderful job Roberto did at both ends of the move. All of our “”Stuff”” arrived intact and we have found nothing broken or missing. At the Michigan end we are in a fairly remote location and it would be difficult for anyone unfamiliar with this area to find our house but Roberto did it contending with weather and unpaved roads.
He should be recognized for a job well done…..!!!”

Thank you, Roberto, for all you do to give Olympia Moving & Storage’s clients an exceptional relocation experience!

Roberto will receive a cash award, plaque, Driver of the Month uniform patches and equipment decals. Roberto is also now a nominee for 2015 Driver of the Year.

Roberto is one of Olympia Moving & Storage’s trained moving professionals. Olympia’s team has won several awards with Wheaton World Wide. Olympia driver Lucian Tistu also won the driver of the month recognition in 2014, and Olympia Moving won their highest honor in 2013, Agent of the Year.

Click here to read the official press release.