Archive for the ‘Gwinnett CAN Challenge’ Category
02.28.2012
Girl Scouts at World Thinking Day 2012 Accept the Gwinnett CAN Challenge
Saturday, February 25 was the day that the Girl Scouts descended upon the Gwinnett Environmental & Heritage Center for World Thinking Day 2012. If you have never attended a WTD, it’s a trip around the world for about $1. (At least that’s what Jason West, Director of Development for the Center says!) Each troop participating in the day set up a table representing a certain country and visitors were given a “passport” which they used to travel around the world and sample food from each country. And of course, this was a Gwinnett CAN Challenge event thanks to Angie West who organized the World Thinking Day. Over 400 food items were collected during the day from participating scouts and parents. As well, over a dozen troops have participated in the Gwinnett CAN Challenge in the last 18 months. Great job girls! Can’t wait to see what you do in 2012!
02.24.2012
Holtkamp Heating & Air’s CAN Challenge Collects More Than 30 Tons of Food For Gwinnett Food Banks
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 31, 2012 Lilburn Boy Scout Troop 509 Named CAN Challenge 2011 Champion GWINNETT COUNTY, GA – Holtkamp Heating & Air Conditioning, the leading HVAC company in Suwanee, Ga., recently announced the results of its first-annual Gwinnett CAN Challenge. The company collected an astounding amount, more than 31 tons of food, far surpassing its original goal of 10 tons. This year’s Challenge winner was Boy Scout Troop 509, out of Lilburn, which donated more than 10,000 items. “We are thrilled that we were able to collect such a large amount of food and that so many individuals, non profits and businesses participated,” said Suzanne Holtkamp, vice president of marketing and operations. “We started the CAN Challenge to help raise awareness about our community’s crucial food needs. Our food banks struggle to stay stocked all year because people tend to think about donating during the holidays and forget food is needed year round.” The CAN Challenge winner, Boy Scout Troop 509, started collecting food last April. Becky Knake, troop committee member, had organized food drives before and encouraged the 20-plus boys to participate in the CAN Challenge. “Getting the community involved through the CAN Challenge is a wonderful […]
01.25.2012
Discount Tickets for the North Atlanta Home Show
It’s almost time again for the Home Show at the Gwinnett Center. Holtkamp Heating & Air will be there with bells on, talking HVAC and giving out all kinds of goodies. Use the discount ticket below and save $2 on admission. Not only that, but the Gwinnett CAN Challenge will receive $1 for every discount ticket redeemed at the Gwinnett Civic Center. The Home Show runs Feb. 10-12, 2012. Time to start thinking spring!
11.25.2011
Vote for the Holtkamp CAN Tree at the Aurora Theatre!
Hope your turkey has been digested and you’ve finished all the pumpkin pie because, guess what? It’s time for the Festival of Trees 2011 at the Aurora Theatre! This year there have been many, many elves hard at work on this year’s Holtkamp CAN Challenge Tree. So sit back and enjoy the show! Can’t wait for you to stop by the Aurora and vote for the Holtkamp Heating & Air Tree by placing canned food or unwrapped toys underneath. All food (regardless of what tree it’s placed under) will go toward the Gwinnett CAN Challenge and all toys will be given to Toys for Tots. But, hey, I would be lying if I told you that I don’t want to win “Best of the Fest” again this year! Thanks again to all our hardworking elves this year especially DSM Ductworks and Theresa Stewart!
10.24.2011
Parkview at Brookwood Game Blows Out CAN Challenge
It was cold. It was dark. It was an awesome night to help Gwinnett Food Banks! Can’t wait to tell you that the Parkview and Brookwood High School fans came out in droves to not only support their teams but to raise 9,804 items for the Southeast Gwinnett CoOperative Ministry, a food bank located in Grayson. Wow. I am overwhelmed. This is by far the biggest haul we’ve taken in for one event. The total was a combination of food items and cash donations. Below are a few of the pictures that capture the spirit of the event! The final score: Brookwood 7851, Parkview 1953. Brookwood earns a $500 grant and Parkview earns $250 from the Holtkamp Family Foundation. Thank you everyone!
09.14.2011
Atlanta Rhythm Section Headlines Free Celebrate Service Festival
Who says helping others can’t be fun? The sixth annual Celebrate Service Music Festival is slated for Saturday, October 1 in Suwanee Town Park. Starting at 8 a.m., ten local bands make up the day’s playlist that culminates at 7:30 p.m. when the famed Atlanta Rhythm Section takes the stage. The purpose of the free family festival? Food and water. Collecting food for Gwinnett’s hurting food banks and raising money to lay water pipe in Nicaragua. John Bland, the director of Amigos For Christ, the local charity sponsoring the festival puts it this way, “We’re a Gwinnett-based charity that serves the poorest of the poor in Chinendaga, Nicaragua. We’ve received such blessings and support from the local Gwinnett Community that we decided this year, our music festival would have a two-fold purpose. We wanted to fill local food banks while we bring attention to the need for clean drinking water in Nicaragua.” It’s not such a wild pairing. Water is plentiful here in the United States but the economy is putting a strain on local food banks. Conversely, food is more available in Nicaragua, because of the accommodating growing climate, but clean drinking water is scarce. So food for Gwinnett […]
08.26.2011
Holtkamp Heating & Air Congratulates Latest Grant Winner
Can’t believe it but we’re fast approaching our ten ton goal of food for local food banks! Barbara Runkle, a parapro at Oakland Meadow School saw our booth at the Memorial Day Concert at Suwanee Town Park last May and immediately took an interest in the CAN Challenge. Oakland Meadow is a Gwinnett County Public School that serves the special education needs of students ages 3-21 who have deficits in cognitive and motor development. During the summer, Barbara motivated the staff at Oakland Meadow and within a few weeks, they had collected 1108 items! The food and personal hygiene items were donated to the Quinn House on August 12 and it couldn’t have come at a better time. The summer is often the most trying time for local food banks. Congratulations to Barbara Runkle and Oakland Meadow School in helping to fight local hunger and in earning a $250 grant from the Holtkamp Family Foundation! Job well done!
05.24.2011
Free Memorial Concert and Next Gwinnett CAN Challenge Location
Ready for some great patriotic music for a great cause? The Gwinnett Daily Post and City of Suwanee are presenting a free patriotic concert featuring the Gwinnett Community Band this Friday, May 27 at 7 p.m. at Suwanee Town Center Park. It’s also our next location for the Gwinnett CAN Challenge – Holtkamp Heating & Air’s drive to collect 10 tons of food for local food banks before the end of 2011. The concert is free and attendees are asked to bring canned food and personal hygiene items for collection. Matthew, the girls and I will all be there to collect your generous donations. Just look for the Gwinnett CAN Challenge tent. Anyone who brings at least 5 items for donation will receive a free bag. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets for this awesome outdoor musical concert. But keep your eye on the sky because the command exhibition team, “Silver Wings” will be parachuting into a 40′ area in the park! See you on Friday! (Suwanee Town Center Park is at the intersection of Lawrenceville-Suwanee Rd. and Buford Hwy.) Thank you to all our brave men and women who have fearlessly given of themselves and their families to preserve […]
05.16.2011
First Grade Students at Level Creek Elementary Accept the CAN Challenge
A big wahoo to all the first graders at Level Creek Elementary in Suwanee. They collected 1068 can food items and earned a $250 grant from the Holtkamp Family Foundation. Below is their story written by Liz Clifford, one of the dedicated First Grade moms! Each grade at Level Creek Elementary leads a community project. These projects instill in our youth good citizenship and leadership through community awareness and participation. Mrs. Bagley our first grade lead teacher chose a food drive to benefit the North Gwinnett Co-Op. The first graders prepared signs and made presentations to the other grade levels encouraging all students to bring in goods for the food drive. Information about the food drive was also placed in the school’s weekly newsletter to parents and the school’s online calendar prior to the weeklong event. Our students flourished in many ways, not only did they collect 1068 items for the food drive, but when asked about the food drive, this is what some of the students had to say: “It is not all about yourself, it’s about other people,” agreed Michael, Terrell, Hannah, Mia, Catherine, Trevor, and Melanie. “It was really great to help the Co-Op so people in […]
04.20.2011
An Inspiring Holtkamp CAN Challenge Story
If you have been keeping up with our updates on the CAN Challenge page, you’ll see that we are approaching the 8 ton mark for food and hygiene items collected so far in 2011. Wanted to share an inspiring story with you on how more and more neighbors are accepting the CAN Challenge. Pictured below are Rachel (age 9) and Kendall (age 6) who chose to collect food for a Gwinnett food bank in lieu of presents this year for their birthday. They asked those who would be attending their party or giving them gifts to give the gift of food instead. As a result, they collected 108 lbs. of items! Way to go, girls! You definitely accepted the CAN Challenge. And a beautiful way of doing it as well! Our local food banks are still in great need. If belong to a 501(c)3 nonprofit and want to conduct a food drive, your nonprofit can earn $250 for every 1000 items you collect. See other ways you can help here. We can fight local hunger, one CAN at a time.
