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A show of support: Kwik Trip debuts its Access for All video
The lights went down in the crowded Lake Superior Ballroom of the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center (DECC) and a hush came over the hundreds of Kwik Trip employees gathered for their year-end annual meeting. As with many corporate year-end meetings, this one was full of profit announcements and congratulations for a job well done, but this moment was different. This was a moment about giving back, doing some good for others, and making a difference.
Just over a year ago, Patrick “Mac” McGranahan, a Kwik Trip employee and member of Friends of the Apostle Islands, saw the potential in our Access for All campaign to align with the philanthropic giving philosophy of Kwik Trip. So, he took it upon himself to bring the idea to his company.
John McHugh, Kwik Trip VP of External Relations
They loved it, in a big way, becoming one of the first large corporate sponsors of the project to the tune of $50,000.
“Kwik Trip is very proud to be a corporate sponsor of the Friends of the Apostle Islands and specifically the Access for All Initiative,” said John McHugh, Kwik Trip’s Vice President of External Relations upon announcing the donation to Access for All late last year.
“The Apostle Islands are a national treasure and anything we can do to help everyone experience the incredible, majestic beauty is important for us at Kwik Trip.”
“Kwik Trip has been an important partner in our successful Access for All initiative,” says Jeff Rennicke, Friends Executive Director. “They came on board with enthusiasm just as we were really ramping up our efforts. Their support and commitment to the project helped ignite the campaign and took us to new heights.”
To document and celebrate the efforts of its employees, Kwik Trip sent a video crew from their public relations department to the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore to tell that story.
Producer Amy DuPont and videographer Jordan Hedges
Paddlers explore the mainland sea caves
Producer Amy DuPont and videographer Jordan Hedges spent time with Friends Executive Director Jeff Rennicke, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Superintendent Lynne Dominy, the staff and crew of Wilderness Inquiry, and even paddled the sea caves, all in an effort to tell the story of Access for All and how the generosity of Kwik Trip employees was making a difference.
Now, they were seeing the story for themselves. The video ran, and a cheer went up.
Today, with the funding secured, the National Park Service has begun planning, engineering, and preparations for the contractor bidding process for the 520-foot, all-accessible ramp at Meyers Beach. Construction is slated to begin early next summer with the goal of completing the ramp by the fall of 2025. And in the sound of that cheer rang the sense that each and every one of those who watched the film and all of the more than 38,000 employees of Kwik Trip knew that they had played a part, made a difference in this important project.
Thank you to Kwik Trip and to all of our sponsors and donors who are also making a difference in the Apostle Islands that we all love.
To join us in supporting the Access for All efforts of the National Park Service in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, go to the Support Us page on our website.
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