Random Acts of Kindness 2012 is a formal opportunity for Pipestone Management employees to give back to their communities. This third annual event ran from February 13 to April 16. Here’s what a few of our locations did with the $50 in seed money from Pipestone Management.
Eagle Ridge (Aurora, Iowa) put their $50 together with $172 they raised from collecting pop cans, rounded it to $240, and wrote a check to their local Lafayette County Food Bank. With that $240 cash donation, the food bank purchased $2,954.14 of food ($12.31 of food for every $1 Eagle Ridge donated). Also, an Eagle Ridge employee who works at the post office donated $144 in postage to the food bank, bringing the total gift to $3,098.14.
Pipestone Veterinary Clinic, Independence, IA—Employees used the $50 seed money to purchase and solicit items for a silent auction held at the clinic. Items included yard decorations and a wood finish cat box made by clinic employees—and lots of Iowa Hawkeyes paraphernalia, including a day at Kinnick Stadium. The auction brought in a total of $2,218 donated to Camp Courageous, a respite program for disabled people of all ages.
The silent auction at Pipestone Veterinary Clinic, Independence, Iowa, featured lots of Iowa Hawkeyes paraphernalia, including a day at Kinnick Stadium. The auction earned $2,218 for Camp Courageous.
Whitetail Run (Kenneth, MN)—Through matches and challenges, employees parlayed their $50 into $450 which they added to a community fundraiser for Matt Groan, a Kenneth, MN, resident needing a kidney transplant. Whitetail helped the community raise a total of $4,200 for Matt.
Calumet Pork (Pipestone, MN)—Employees supported two community organizations with their seed money. They used the $50 to purchase magazine subscriptions from the local Girl Scout troop and gave these subscriptions to the Pipestone County Hospice.
System Grow-Finish, Pipestone Veterinary Clinic, Pipestone Artificial Breeders, and the Annex—These locations pooled their seed money and scheduled bake sales, luncheons, and money challenges to help defray medical expenses for the family of Carlos Remirez, a nine-year-old Pipestone boy who suddenly became ill and passed away. System employees presented a check for $2,300 to the Remirez family at a tree planting ceremony in honor of Carlos at Brown Elementary School where he attended. This event was also funded and organized by System employees.
System Grow-Finish, Pipestone Veterinary Clinic, Pipestone Artificial Breeders, and the Annex employees presented a check for $2,300 to the Remirez family in memory of young Carlos Remirez, who passed away. Pictured left to right, Yamilett (Carlos’ aunt), Elidia (Carlos’ grandmother) holding Oscar (Yamilett’s son), Brenda (Carlos’ mother), and David (who is being cared for by Brenda’s family).
The above stories are a sampling of the Random Acts of Kindness performed by Pipestone Management employees this year. Forty of the 44 System locations participated this year in this formal effort to give back to their communities.
“In addition to the love and support it expresses, Random Acts of Kindness has generated $36,639.00 over the past three years for the communities in which we work and live,” says Donna Hazelton, human resources director for the Pipestone Management. “It’s really just people caring for people.”