Gardner Builders: Our First Sponsor

I’m confident that anyone who has ever founded a non-profit remembers the moment their first sponsor signed on.  It was 2015, and I remember it like it was yesterday. There it was, a text from Bob Gardner telling me Gardner Builders would be the presenting sponsor of our first-ever fundraising event. The second those words appeared on my phone, all my financial worries about the event vanished. And Gardner Builders did more than support the event financially. Their employees also showed up to support and compete. 

Founded in 2010, Gardner Builders was young at the time, too. I think that was a big reason why Bob took a chance on us. He clearly remembered how his first year felt when he and Dave Hecker were operating out of the closet of a psychiatrist’s office in downtown Minneapolis. Today, they are one of the Midwest's most successful and trusted general contractors. 

At the very beginning of a movement like ours, there’s this “chicken or the egg” dilemma: Which comes first, raising the money to do the work or doing the work to raise the money? We decided the answer was yes. 

We did our best to create a fundraiser that men who were caregivers would enjoy. Rather than a fancy gala, we’d have a cornhole competition in the brand-new and beautiful CHS field. And the caregivers who came were our “VIPs.”  

So, here’s to you, Gardner Builders! We salute you for being the first to take a chance on us. Ten years later, we still remember, and we hope we have made you proud.