Team members from the Mankato and Rochester RDO Equipment Co. stores chipped in at what has become a regular community event and team outing during the summer.
The National Wheelchair Sports Camp at Ironwood Springs Ranch in Stewartville, MN is a longstanding event where youth and adults with physical challenges take part in sport-themed activities in a supportive and inspiring team environment.
A water-skiing event is one of many offered during the camp, and it’s one that the RDO team in Rochester has been involved with for the last four years. This year, the event was held at a lake between Mankato and Rochester, so team members from both locations got involved.
In addition to helping out as needed to prepare the event, the group of eight team members served lunch to around 115 people, most of whom were event participants, who General Manager Dan Lingen said are the reason the event is so special to the team.
“We volunteer at a lot of great places and for great causes, but we truly walk away with an impactful sense of appreciation from the participants of the Wheelchair Camp,” he said. “We get letters and text messages of thanks, and that’s really meaningful.”
Service Technician Matt Kruger was a member of the local ski team that partnered with the National Wheelchair Sports Camp to host the ski event several years ago. It was through that connection that RDO first got involved with the event, but Dan said it’s the people who have made it an annual effort.
“We’re just cooking lunch for these campers, but we’re part of this experience, helping them participate in activities they maybe wouldn’t otherwise be able to do. For us, it is such a valuable experience.”
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