AgPlus serves up $12,000 for SW Minn. United Way

In what became a battle of crock pots turned out to be over a $12,000 donation to the United Way.
Four AgPlus leadership teams competed in a soup/stew cook-off over three days in Canby, Ghent and Marshall.
Other AgPlus employees at those locations then had the option of paying $5 for a sample of each soup/stew, while also getting a full bowl of any one of their choice; or they could donate $20 and also received a paid half-day off from work.
The employees' total donations amounted to $1,650, plus the leadership team donated an additional $500, for a total of $2,150. AgPlus matched all donations 2-to-1, bringing the total to $6,450. Land O' Lakes Foundation then matches that total to make it a $12,900 donation to United Way of Southwestern Minnesota.
Don Brown and Todd Ludwig served up wild rice soup in a bread bowl. Andrea Pyle and Liz Rheingans were teammates with a cheeseburger soup. Adam Steffes and Justin Ranek served chili and grilled cheese sandwiches. And Steve Traen and Angie Hulzebos offered Irish Stew.
Steffes and Ranek playfully boasted before the cookoff that they were going to be champions as they offered games and grilled cheese sandwiches in order to entice votes.
Their prophecy came true as they received the most votes and won a trophy and bragging rights for their efforts.
Brown and Ludwig came in second place, Andrea and Liz third, and Steve and Angie fourth.
AgPlus started the fundraiser last year with a chili cookoff for United Way and raised $11,300.
"Thank you to everyone who cooked, donated, sampled and voted. It all made for a great week and an amazing donation to a wonderful organization, United Way of Southwestern Minneota," said Hulzebos, Controller at AgPlus.