Local #314 Makes Wishes Come True
When the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Western Wisconsin wanted to grant 3 year old cancer patient Alec Hampton his wish for backyard playground equipment, they needed to look no farther than the Eau Claire Building Trades for help.
Tom Grunseth, Business Manager of Laborers’ Local #317 in Eau Claire teamed with 5 other trades workers to donate nine hours on a Saturday in July to erect the equipment and make Alec’s wish come true.
“To tell you the truth, it was quite a project,” Grunseth said of the day’s work. “I know I’d never try to take it on myself.”
Volunteering in the community is never easy, especially if it involves construction work. But, in the Eau Claire area, if it involves construction, the Local and the Local Building Trades have always been ready and willing to help.
Not long ago, the Local participated in a Building Trades effort that helped keep the local chapter of Big Brothers, Big Sisters in operation. On that occasion, Ben Grunseth teamed with brother Tom and members of other trades to donate time remodeling the local chapters office to meet new state regulations. Over three successive weekends the crew turned open space into three sound-proof offices that met state standards for private rooms necessary to talk to children.
In addition to the remodeling project for Big Brothers, Big Sisters, the Local and other trades recently converted an old service station garage into a Free Health Clinic.
Answering a call by local health care providers that area doctors and nurses could donate their time if a facility was available, Joe Larson of Local #317, donating his time and talent, joined members of other trades to turn the garage into a medical facility. Today, the free clinic is open 2 evenings a week and sees on average 20 patients a night.