Austin, Minn. – Cooperative Response Center, Inc. (CRC) is proud to announce that the company and its employees have sponsored the wish of a Blooming Prairie, Minn., child through Make-A-Wish® Minnesota. The mission of Make-A-Wish Minnesota is to grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength, and joy.
Eighteen-year-old CJ. Hein of Blooming Prairie was the recipient of the CRC-sponsored wish. Hein has hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a heart condition he has suffered with since he was 12 years old. Since playing his favorite sports including football, basketball, and baseball were no longer an option to him due to their cardiovascular intensity, Hein found a new passion in golfing. Accordingly, Hein wished for a new set of custom-fitted TaylorMade golf clubs, including a golf bag, shoes, and clothing. Hein was granted his wish on August 1 so he would be able to use his new clubs prior to winter.
Throughout 2012, CRC employees worked together to fundraise one-half of the cost of a wish by holding a winter rummage sale, two tip-night fundraisers at the local Pizza Ranch restaurant, CRC-logoed clothing sales, and by selling a CRC 20th anniversary cookbook, with all profits from the book going to pay for CJ.’s gift. Employees recently raised the final amount of their goal by completing the sale of its cookbooks. CRC made a matching corporate donation to fulfill the wish cost the week of December 17.
“CRC is proud of its employees for working together to make this wish happen,” said Chris Holt, CRC’s president and CEO. “We are very touched and honored to sponsor the wish of a child from the area. We hope CJ.’s new golf equipment helps him achieve his dream of becoming a golf pro or child’s golf instructor.”
“Make-A-Wish Minnesota is extremely grateful to the CRC employees for making CJ’s wish come true. It’s through these partnerships that wishes are coming true for Minnesota children with life-threatening medical conditions,” according to Jean Carlson, event & constituent coordinator. She added that Make-A-Wish Minnesota has granted close to 300 wishes to Minnesota kids this year.
About Make-A-Wish Minnesota
Make-A-Wish® Minnesota grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. According to a 2011 U.S. study of wish impact, most health professionals surveyed believe a wish-come-true can influence the health of children. Kids say wishes give them renewed strength to fight their illnesses, and their parents say these experiences help strengthen the entire family. Make-A-Wish is one of the world’s leading children’s charities, serving children in every community in the United States and its territories. Make-A-Wish® Minnesota was founded in 1982, and fulfills the wishes of children throughout the entire state. Since the chapter began, it has granted more than 4,000 wishes.
About CRC
CRC is a nationwide, cooperatively owned and operated, 24/7 contact center and central station. Founded in 1992, CRC has steadily increased the size and scope of its operation with offices currently in Austin, Minn., Dunlap, Tenn., and Abilene, Texas. CRC serves 300 members and associate members in 41 states, representing over 4.5 million consumers. Visit CRC on the web at www.crc.coop.