Ray Stawarz, Secretary and Treasurer for the Owatonna Foundation, thanks Eric Pirkl, District Manager for ThompsonGas DBA Pirkl Gas, and his staff for their “Giving for Gallons” fundraising campaign that ran last summer from June to August. The fundraiser was part of Pirkl Gas’ belief in giving back to the community they serve. New customers that signed up for at least 800 gallons of propane a year where able to donate $100 to one of two local charities, the Owatonna Foundation or the Steele County Humane Society. The fundraiser raised $500 for the Owatonna Foundation.
When asked why he chose the Owatonna Foundation as one the nonprofits to receive these donations, Eric Pirkl stated, “We wanted to partner with an organization that has a long-standing history of giving back to our community. I often see signs and scoreboards around town that acknowledge the Owatonna Foundation and after visiting their website and seeing their history of giving, I knew this was a nonprofit we should be supporting.”
“We want to thank Eric and Pirkl Gas for their commitment to the Owatonna Foundation and to our community. It is wonderful to see how philanthropic our community truly is. I think people in the community enjoy hearing these stories about local businesses giving back and it feels like a win-win when you can support a local business that will support a local nonprofit” says Executive Coordinator Angela Gonzales.
Here is some more information on Pirkl Gas. The Pirkl name has been involved in the petroleum industry since 1959, beginning with delivering gasoline, diesel fuel, heating oil, motor oil and lubricants. In 1995, they purchased Kath Bros propane based out of Meriden, MN. They have grown from having 300 customers to over 1,500 satisfied customers. In 2020, Pirkl Gas was acquired by ThompsonGas, who shares the same values that has led to Pirkl Gas’ success.
They take pride in offering fair and competitive pricing along with excellent service for our customers and believe in building our business relationships through trust, honesty, and respect. Our safety conscious employees continually receive on the job training and attend training and educational seminars. The Owatonna and Meriden locations can store more than half a million gallons of propane combined. This means that customers have a reliable source of propane throughout the wettest crop drying season and coldest winters.
The Owatonna Foundation, now in its 64th year of serving the Owatonna community, provides “brick and mortar” grants in Owatonna and its environs in four areas: Community, Arts, Recreation and Education. The Foundation also provides $30,000 in scholarships annually for 2-year colleges and technical schools. The Foundation was established in 1957 with the goal of improving the quality of life for present and future generations of Owatonna residents. Since then, the Owatonna Foundation has committed more than $13 million dollars in grants and scholarships to local organizations and students.
For more information about the Owatonna Foundation, grants, or scholarships, please visit our website at: www.owatonnafoundation.org or call our Executive Coordinator, Angela Gonzales at our office at 455-2995.
Fundraising idea? The Owatonna Foundation would love to work with you and promote your business. When buying local results in giving local, our whole community wins!
Pictured left to right- Jason Sommer (Delivery Driver), Ben Aase (Service Technician), Eric Pirkl (District Manager) Ray Stawarz (Treasurer/Secretary of the Owatonna Foundation), Mitch Belina (Delivery Driver), Greg Pirkl (Delivery Driver)