The Responsible Business team at the Radisson Hotel La Crosse, along with other volunteers from the hotel and the community, spent Saturday, May 19, cleaning up the banks of the Mississippi River. The hotel sits on a picturesque bank of the river in the heart of La Crosse, Wisc.
Fifteen hotel employees, plus family and friends, assisted 275 community volunteers at this annual event, removing 3,920 pounds of debris; 2,100 pounds of scrap metal; 37 tires; 46 (55-gallon) barrels; and one appliance. The Radisson team provided 64 hours of community service in its inaugural participation in this event.
“We are very proud of the impact we made at this event, and through all of the efforts our Responsible Business (RB) team members have taken on this year to support our community,” said Tim Blaschke, general manager of the Radisson Hotel La Crosse. “Led by Steve Smith, chief engineer/executive housekeeper, our RB team and other community partners have also participated in a food drive for the local Wafer food pantry, collected batteries, milk caps, box tops and grocery store receipts, all generating donations to different non-profit charities.”
The hotel’s Three Rivers Lodge restaurant has done its part over the past year, as well, through the “Tree of Lights” event last December that collected new and used coats, hats and gloves for the homeless, and its current support of the community's “one Thursday at a time” project, where the restaurant donates 15 percent of its Thursday evening food sales to various local non-profits each month.
In addition to Steve Smith, the Responsible Business team in La Crosse includes Katy Arnold, housekeeper; Peggy Benson, HR support; Earl Carver, banquet server; Kevin Faehnrich, banquet cook; Cory Larson, engineer; Linda Lund, bartender; Scott Marshall, front office bellmen; Merle Petrie, purchasing/A & G; Melissa Webster, sales manager; and Ann Wolstad, the property's Responsible Business certified trainer.
Team photo: The Radisson Hotel La Crosse river clean-up crew pictured left to right: Front row—Joe Pierce, Melissa Webster, Krista Schlicht, Kevin Faehnrich; Back row—Tim Blaschke, Ramon Frauenkron, Melody Reuter, Steve Smith, Cindy Redman, Terri Nolop-Pinter, Pat Kerska, Caleb Pearson and Earl Carver. Other participants not pictured—Ronnie Erwin, Linda Lund, Zack Lund and Donna Blaschke.