This summer Whirlpool Corporation volunteers made a difference with Boys & Girls Club members. July 21 was a day of fun at clubs in Benton Harbor, Detroit and Sandusky, OH, featuring outdoor and indoor games, arts & crafts, sports, and at Benton Harbor, a Penny Carnival during the Maytag Day of Dependability.
Volunteers spent time in group activities or one-on-one with the club kids, who were excited to do the activities and spend time with the adults. “Each child was craving for our attention and it was touching to see the joy and even some tears. Each child seemed to appreciate us being there” commented Jessica Lang, a Shared Services Specialist at Benton Harbor Riverview.
The volunteers had as much fun as the kids did. “Since I hadn’t volunteered at a Boys and Girls Club before, I expected it to be a bunch of kids running around and playing games,” reported Josh Ciboch, a Sales Market Representative who volunteered at the Shelby Township Boys and Girls Club near Detroit. “I didn’t think I’d have as much fun as I did. I enjoyed chatting with the kids about their hobbies, pets, etc., which really gave me the chance to get to know them and where they come from. One of the older kids in the group asked me to play him 1 on 1 in basketball. Afterwards, he wouldn’t stop raving about how much fun he had and kept telling me I needed to come back another day and play him again.”
Whirlpool Corporation’s CEO Jeff Fettig kicked off the Penny Carnival at Benton Harbor, where participants paid a penny per carnival game. Kids and adults played lots of games of skill, including a dunk tank. “The water dunking event was a blast! I’ve never seen kids so adamant about dunking someone in water. It was fun for everyone involved” said Nate Kesto, Electrical Engineer at R&E.
The Maytag Day of Dependability is about giving Whirlpool employees an opportunity to contribute to the legacy of dependability. Our hope is that participation in this event will lead to future volunteerism between Whirlpool employees and the Boys & Girls Clubs.
