First ever “Fill The Bus” corporate challenge a success.

               Rotary’s “Fill The Bus” campaign has been in the community helping the Richland-Wilkin Food Pantry every fall since 2011.  This year Program Chair Rick Jacobson has added a new wrinkle: a corporate challenge.  Three local corporations chose to be involved this year:  WCCO Belting; Pioneer Seed and Sanford health.  As Alicia LeNoue, the Pioneer Seed Lead explained one of their core values is respect for people thus the “Fill The Bus” program is ideal for them.  The WCCO Belting team was led by Karly Shorma and surprised us with Bison Junior Offensive Tackle Number 70 Jack Plankers helping load the bus as was CEO Tom Shorma.  Doreen Bladow was Sanford’s lead.

WCCO Belting CEO Tom Shorma loading the bus.  The big guy is Bison Jack Plankers.

  

Pioneer Seed lead Alicia LeNoue pushing a cart of  food donated by their employees to the bus.

 

 

 

Sanford Wahpeton's lead Doreen Bladow loading the bus with Clinic Director Jordan Ottoson.

                            

               This first challenge brought in a total of nineteen hundred and eight pounds of food or money for the Food Pantry.  One dollar of currency is considered equal to one pound of food.  Who won the challenge will be announced in a week or so by Program Chair Rick as the numbers for each participant have to be validated and divided by the number of full time equivalent employees.  This puts everyone on an equal playing field and a small concern can compete with the large ones.
                As successful as the challenge was this year Wahpeton Rotary would like to see many more corporations participate next summer.