The Bosses Face Off

For five years running, EAPC Architects Engineers has hosted a Fall Fundraiser with employees. Each year, one of EAPC’s ten office locations rotates, choosing a local non-profit to support. This year our Williston office selected the Williston VFW Post 12169, an EAPC client.

The theme of this year’s event was Battle of the Bosses. The Bosses consisted of our EAPC Partner Group, Office Managers, and Department Managers. They competed to raise the least amount of money! That’s right… the Bosses that raised THE MOST money, are slated to be doused in GREEN SLIME! (Sliming date is still being determined. It’s hard getting five Bosses together in one place.)

Not only did local vets receive a little community assistance and community spirit but five EAPC “Bosses” are taking a trip down to Slimetown!

EAPCer’s had fun tormenting each other with emails and videos.

We also had a little too much fun with JibJab.

We hosted our fundraising event through MightyCause and told employees that their opportunity to donate ended promptly at 3:00 PM on Thursday, October 31. Things got wild in the last few minutes of the event. Ten people snuck in donations within the final seconds bringing us more than $600 above our goal of $2,500.

EAPCers were serious about who they wanted to see in the top five and some were determined to get their Boss into the top five. A few offices even ganged up on their Boss, pooling their money together and asking their Boss to double match it! How could those Bosses say no to such generosity? They (somewhat begrudgingly) complied.

We were ecstatic to have raised more than any previous EAPC Annual Fall Fundraising event. Our friends at the Williston VFW Post 12169 were very grateful.

What does the Williston VFW Post 12169 do with their funds?

The Williston VFW Post 12169 is a new post, recently chartered last summer. Most of their funding comes purely from donations or volunteer work parking cars at events in exchange for free will donations. Their Buddy Poppy Drives also help raise funds at various times of the year at parades and during holidays.

A small portion of their finds are used for office supplies and computer programs to run the post. The majority of their funds support veterans or their families that are in distress. They also forward a portion of their funds to the VFW Department of North Dakota’s cancer funds and emergency funds.

EAPC’s Williston client, Corey Moen, Commander of VFW Post 12169, is a recipient of that emergency fund. Last summer half of his house burned up and the VFW Department of North Dakota was the first to respond with a $2500 check for him and his family. They beat his insurance company to the scene after the fire.

The VFW also gives a monetary donation to youth scholarships such as Patriot’s Pen and Voice of Democracy. They also contribute a plaque and monetary donation for teachers that perpetuate Americanism in their students.

Additionally, there are programs to recognize and support full-time firefighters, law-enforcement, and EMS.

The donations also help alleviate travel expenses for post officers. The VFW attends continuing education conventions concerning VA healthcare for disabled veterans, veteran benefits, and congressional legislation concerning veteran issues. These are attended at the local, state, and national levels and help ensure veterans are not falling through the cracks, unable to get the help and benefits they’ve earned.

Corey and other members of the Williston VFW are volunteer firefighters, deacons in their churches, volunteers at local hospitals, and law-enforcement officers. Their large member base allows them to find out and respond quickly when a veteran or their family is in distress. They then respond with help as soon as possible.

The standard monetary support for VFW members and family for overnight hospital stays is $100. Additional monetary support is given on a case by case basis and depends on available funds. The organization also has a calling tree for emergencies so approval can be obtained from trustees and other officers to distribute funds to a veteran or family member in need.

There is not a great benefit to the Williston community when donations are made directly to national veteran organizations. For example, the majority of funds donated to Wounded Warrior in North Dakota gets allocated elsewhere, outside the state.

The Williston VFW Post 12169 is working to gather enough funds to open an actual brick-and-mortar, family-friendly post restaurant open to the public. This would allow them to have a sustainable income to better support the programs mentioned rather than relying strictly on donations.

Stay tuned

You won’t want to miss our video capturing the big sliming event. Five EAPC Bosses will be covered in green, Nickelodeon style slime. Keep up with EAPC on social media!