July is an especially fun and rewarding month for us at Innovia. You see, a train that I built from recycled barrels has become a featured attraction in Waupaca’s annual July 4th parade. Each year I pull kids in the train while Innovia employees and their families hand out more than 800 pounds of candy to parade-goers. It has become a tradition that both the community and our company look forward to every year
In fact, our little train has become so popular that riding in it during the parade is now a prize in our library’s summer reading program. Five year old, Elaina Beekman, was this year’s lucky winner. Her name was drawn from more than 650 children who set reading goals for their summer vacation. It is a privilege and an honor to support such an awesome cause!
If you aren’t already, I would strongly encourage you to get involved with your own local community. Not only are you lending support through your time, goods or services, you’re also strengthening your community -- making it a better place to live and do business. You’ll discover, as we have, doing good and doing well go hand in hand. It creates a cascading sequence of positive events; the community improves, the community feels a connection with you and your business grows. Most importantly, it shows that you’re more than just your businesses’ bottom line.
Ben Franklin once said, “A good conscience is a continual Christmas.” I couldn’t agree more.