Habitat and Baudville Partner to Celebrate 25 Years

Habitat for Humanity partners with local company to recognize 250 homes & 25 year anniversaries in "un-gala" fashion

Kentwood, MICH., -- A twenty-five year anniversary often conjures images of grand parties, fancy gifts and lots of silver. This spring, two local organizations have chosen a unique approach to celebrating the milestone by marking the occasion in "un-gala" fashion.

Habitat for Humanity of Kent County is proud to announce that Baudville Incorporated, a local provider of employee award and recognition products and tools, will be the sponsor and builder of the 250th Habitat home. It's a fitting partnership for both entities, as 2008 marks the 25th year of operation for each.

Baudville company leadership chose to sponsor the building of the LEED certified home located in northwest Grand Rapids rather than throw the typical corporate anniversary event. The company is gifting all employees the opportunity to spend one business day in construction at the Habitat home. Baudville plans to contribute over 1,000 hours of employee time to the project.

"Since our founding, Baudville has had a passionate commitment to our customers, our employees and our community," explains Brad Darooge, Baudville President and CEO. "When it came to celebrating our 25th anniversary, it just made sense to do something that would recognize and strengthen those commitments."

Habitat for Humanity of Kent County is thrilled for Baudville's active involvement, which includes a shuttled ride to and from the work site for employees. "It is always exciting to witness the creative ways companies relate sponsorships to their employees. Baudville is certainly setting a precedent by translating a very special community initiative into employee recognition as well," says Habitat's Executive Director, Pam Doty-Nation.

With fewer than 100 employees, Baudville demonstrates that it doesn't take a large business to play a giant role in the community. The Habitat sponsorship was made possible by Baudville's charitable outreach, "Baudville's Helping Hand." Although Baudville has been an active contributor to community organizations since 1983, the company recently re-organized its charitable arm in order to improve relations with local charities.

"The mission of Baudville's Helping Hand is to provide children with lives of hope, dignity and purpose. We seek to achieve this through active support of charitable organizations working in the areas of education, public health, social justice, and environmental preservation," Darooge explains. The Habitat partnership was chosen as it fulfills multiple facets of Baudville's Helping Hand mission.

Also in the un-gala spirit, Habitat for Humanity of Kent County will be celebrating with friends from near and far in casual fashion this spring. The organization is hosting a block party fundraiser where formal wear is discouraged and finger food is expected. The "Rock the Block" event is being held at Steelcase Town Hall in Kentwood on Friday, April 25, 2008. The public is invited to participate in the festivities. Event tickets are $50 per person which includes food and entertainment. A donor level ticket called "Hammer in Hand" is $100 and includes food, entertainment, and $20 chip packet for bar and activities, and donor recognition. Tickets for "Rock the Block" may be purchased by calling Habitat for Humanity of Kent County at (616) 774-2431 ext. 245.

Baudville is a leading provider of employee award and recognition products and tools. Today, Baudville continues to build on its past success, aggressively upgrading and expanding product development and marketing efforts. A recent renovation doubled operations to nearly 65,000 square feet to provide room for all departments to grow as the company looks to future initiatives. Its 90 talented and dedicated employees will satisfy over 200,000 customers this year.

Habitat for Humanity of Kent County is a non-profit, faith-based organization dedicated to eliminating substandard housing. Habitat brings together people with resources and people in need to build simple, decent, affordable housing. The houses are sold to low-income families at no profit, through 0% interest loans. The Kent County affiliate was founded in 1983 and has built over 240 homes throughout Kent and Eastern Ottawa Counties. Volunteers interested in helping with future projects should call Colleen Mahon-VanDoren at 616.774.2431, extension 224. For more information on Habitat for Humanity of Kent County, visit our website at www.habitatkent.org.

For More Information

Images and company logos can be obtained by emailing Cori Drenth or by phone at (616) 698-0889.

Download the PDF of this Press Release.


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