Giving back to the community!!!!  Yes, this is one of the many reasons I like working at Culver's is because they give back 10% of their sales to people right here in our city for various types of fundraisers.

While I've worked probably more than 2 dozen fundraisers over my three plus years at Culver's, one in particular stands out.   I think this one stands out the most for two reasons:  one because it was a death and two because I've never seen it this packed at Culver's. 

The fundraiser was for an 8th grade girl that went to Central Middle School.  (her name escapes me at this moment) She was a girl who lived on the same road as my mom's cousin and ironically, my mom's cousin also had her as a student.  Her parents came home one day and she had collapsed in the road after getting off the school bus.  We were told she had a heart defect.  It's unclear whether or not the defect had been known prior to this or not.  Either way it was very sad. 

A week or two after she died, the Culver's on Sunset agreed to do a fundraiser to raise money for the family for unexpected expenses that they had incurred.  The girls mother was a volunteer firefighter for the Town of Waukesha.  All of the people from that station and more I am sure, agreed to come in and help the Culver's workers with the fundraiser. 

The parents had a booth with a board displayed with all kinds of  pictures of their daughter.  Of course, everyone was congregating by that booth.  There was not a single seat to be had nor a single spot to park in the parking lot.  There were a few fire trucks there as well.  The fundraiser was only suppose to be 2 hours and I think it ended up to be at least 3 due to the amount of people.  The firefighters and their helpers served the food and cleared tables that's how crazy it was.  They also had a firefighter at each door collecting money in their fire boots.  The whole shift I really had no time to process what was going on around me; I just had to get orders taken and out. 

When I sit back and reflect on this now, nearly, three years later I can't help but feel proud that I was part of the giving back in some small way.  I am also proud to work for a place that gives back.