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The Luverne Area Community Foundation hosted its annual Friends of the Foundation Celebration of Philanthropy Monday night at Take 16 Brewing Company in Luverne.
The event recognizes and celebrates businesses, nonprofits and individuals who benefit from and support the foundation’s mission of strengthening the community.
In 2021 LACF provided grants to dozens of local causes totaling nearly $76,000.
“This night is to celebrate you,” LACF director Emily Crabtree told the group.
George and Corrine Bonnema receive
Spirit of Philanthropy Award
This award recognizes an outstanding individual or family with a proven record of exceptional financial generosity and volunteer leadership to one or more Rock County nonprofit organizations who has “demonstrated extraordinary civic and charitable responsibility, and whose generosity inspires others to philanthropic action.”
Crabtree said George and Corrine Bonnema received the award for their service in the community. “While they work well as a team, they also have their individual passions that they carry,” she said.
She mentioned Generations, Farmers Market, Big Buddies, American Reformed Church, Mentoring, Healing Garden, Rock the Edge leader as a few.
George said he’s blessed to have a vocation that was his passion and even more so that Corrine made it “their passion” as business owners of Luverne Flowers.
“They have a strong belief that God entrusts every person with time, talents and ability,” Crabtree said Monday night.
“These things bring opportunity to gain wealth, not just for personal wants but also to bless others.”
The Bonnemas said being retired allows them more time to volunteer and serve.
“The opportunity to volunteer in all the venues we serve gives us a great sense of accomplishment and purpose,” George said.
“We appreciate our home, our property, our community, and the people who make our community what it is. We consider it a privilege to be able to give back.”
The Bonnemas said they hope they can inspire others by carrying on the legacy as community members as others did before them through leadership and generosity.
“We see possibilities as invitations. We encourage retirees to find a place to become involved because the opportunities are there if you want to find them,” George said.
“If anyone wants to find purpose and joy in life, we encourage you to invest yourself for the benefit of others.”
Pizza Ranch named Outstanding Corporation or Business
This award recognizes a business that has “created a culture of philanthropy with their organization and has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to philanthropy” through financial support of nonprofit organizations, leadership involvement, and volunteer participation and commitment of its workforce in establishing a role model for the business community.
Luverne Pizza Ranch, owned by Randy and Lila Bauer, started in Luverne in 1993 with a “vision to glorify God by positively impacting the world.”
She said that as a business, Pizza Ranch has been blessed. “We have a great staff that cares about each other and the community they live in,” Lila said. “They are the heart of Pizza Ranch. When we see a need in the community, we try to find a way that we can make an impact. Everyone that works at the ranch knows this is what we do.”
Crabtree said successful local businesses want the community to succeed.
“Lila and her staff have proven just that,” she said.
Extra food from the end of the night is shared with places and people that give important care to our community such as the Hospice Cottage, the hospital nurses station and the Rock County Sheriff’s office.
During Covid Pizza Ranch started hosting community pizza drops and donating a portion of those sales to local schools and organizations.
“Help where they can, glorify God by positively impacting the world – that is what Luverne Pizza Ranch is all about,” Crabtree said. “Thank you for what you do for our communities.”
BMAT receives Nonprofit Spotlight Award
The award recognizes an outstanding volunteer group that has demonstrated exceptional commitment to the community through direct involvement, financial support and leadership.
“If it were not for one of the most active volunteer boards in our community, we would not get to experience live theatre experiences such as drama theater, musicals, concerts or children’s productions plus current movies on the weekend,” Crabtree said about the Blue Mound Area Theatre.
The nonprofit group promotes fine arts through funding by ticket sales, concessions, rent of theater, charitable gifts from supporters of them and the city of Luverne. The group also coordinates dozens of volunteers in its work.
“The behind the scenes work of BMAT for the Palace Theatre tries to be the hub of activity for Luverne,” Crabtree said.
“They work hard to provide space for performance events and bringing in a variety of artists to expose the general public to different genres.”
She said BMAT’s leadership focus is to work hard to bring the fine arts to our small rural community.
“A variety of theatrical genres and movies and a quality experience is what they aim to do every weekend,” Crabtree said. “Thank you to the working board members of the Blue Mound Area Theatre.”
The Luverne Area Community Foundation can be reached at 507-220-2424 or Emily@luvacf.org.