A HELPING HAND: Clinton hardware store rises to top in fundraising campaign
Jan. 22—CLINTON — A Clinton hardware store not only sells items for residents' day-to-day needs, it also plays a major role in fundraising for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.
O'Donnell Ace Hardware Assistant Manager Shane Pinder on Friday expressed his passion for the store's strong involvement in fundraising for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and exuded pride in the community and the store's involvement.
In 2020, all seven O'Donnell Ace Hardware stores collectively raised $155,830.67 for the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital. In 2021, however, Clinton's own O'Donnell Ace Hardware store, located on Seventh Avenue South, came out on top.
This location, even though it was in competition with its stores in much larger towns, including Des Moines and Cedar Rapids, was ranked number one of all of the locations on the average dollar amount raised per store. That total came to $26,577.18. Clinton's store, itself, was able to donate over $16,000.
How did they do it?
"That's just all by candy bar sales and round-up sales, and then we employees give out of our paychecks too," Pinder said, adding that 10 cents from every key made in the store goes toward their yearly donation, "and we make a lot of keys."
Some local residents come in to the store only for the purpose of offering a yearly donation. The store also holds year-round bake sales, and Dave Larsen, the manager of the store, makes duck calls that they will sell. Pinder said that a couple of these duck calls brought in $100 each to be donated.
According to its Facebook page, Duracell announced in January that it had chosen the store at random to receive a $2,000 donation bonus — one of 10 such bonuses given out by Duracell — which will go to the Iowa City Children's Hospital.
The cause is close to Pinder's heart as his daughter was a patient at the University of Iowa Children's Hospital at one time. He, therefore, was able to gain perspective from the donation side as well as that of a patient. Pinder says the place is "awesome" and he strongly recommends seeing it if one should get the chance.
Ace Hardware and Children's Miracle Network Hospitals reached their 30th anniversary of working together in 2020. Over $140 million has been raised since this partnership began.
"I don't think we'll ever stop," Pinder said in regard to O'Donnell Ace Hardware's involvement with Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. "If they stop, I'll be sad, especially when we've done so much."
