Written By Hannah Geelhoed, Community Involvement Director
Over the past several years we have been fortunate at SpendMend. Our business has grown and we have added many new and talented team members that share our work ethic and our values. Success is not something that we take for granted and we believe in fostering a culture of community, humility, and gratitude. Wherever possible we encourage our team to “give back” to several charities that we support including Bee Brave, Purple Community, Kid’s Food Basket, Toys 4 Tots, American Red Cross Blood Drives, Boys and Girls Club, and others.
One of the many charitable fundraisers that we support is the Bee Brave 5K Race in Grand Rapids MI. Bee Brave stands out to us because one hundred percent of the proceeds go to the Van Andel Institute, a Grand Rapids based research facility fighting Breast Cancer and Neurodegenerative diseases.
In just the last three years our generous staff and management team have donated nearly $20,000 to the change-making organization. I have personally been able to take tours of the Van Andel facility and have gotten to see the machines and meet the staff that Bee Brave’s donations have been able to purchase and hire.
As everyone knows, 2020 has seen many cancelled and postponed events, but fortunately we will be able to continue our tradition next weekend and once again support Bee Brave as a platinum level sponsor for their October 10th fundraiser. Based on the guidance provided by our state and through strict enforcement by the leaders at Bee Brave, I am certain we will be able to do our part to help support this worthy cause, all while keeping everyone safe. The Bee Brave community is faithful, strong, and loyal.
Bee Brave founder Pat Ringnalda offered the following sentiments to help outline the importance of the event, “The Bee Brave charity organization consists of like-minded people who have a passion for a community cause. 100% of what we raise, including race registrations, go directly to the Van Andel Institute for local breast cancer research! SpendMend has been a HUGE contributor to our success, not only as a Platinum level sponsor, but also by creating energy to support our team fundraising efforts!
Please come join us on Saturday, October 10-either virtually or in person! Click HERE to register and/or donate today using the SpendMend team’s fundraising page. Any contribution you or your friends/family can make will help in significant and meaningful ways.