NORMAN, OKLA. – (March 31, 2009) – The Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Kansas credits the work of Johnson Controls employee Sam McCorkle and other Make-A-Wish® volunteers with the success of its 2009 TROUT TANK fundraiser. The fundraiser was held in February during the 55th Annual Kansas Sports, Boat and Travel Show, sponsored by Sportsman’s Warehouse, at the Kansas Coliseum in Valley Center, Kan.
The TROUT TANK event attracted fishing enthusiasts of all ages who tried their luck at a fully stocked indoor pond. By making a $3 donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation®, participants had the opportunity to cast and hook as many fish as possible in five minutes, keeping what they caught or releasing fish back into the pond.
McCorkle, a focus factory manager at the Johnson Controls manufacturing facility in Wichita, and his son Nathan joined other Make-A-Wish volunteers who helped participants bait, hook and release or bag the fish they caught.
“Every volunteer makes a difference,” noted Lori Stone, special events & communication manager, Make-A-Wish Foundation of Kansas. “This year their combined efforts helped us raise money that will go toward granting a wish to a special child.”
According to Patricia Greenway, president and CEO of the Kansas chapter, 100 percent of the money raised will stay in Kansas. “The average wish costs $6,000, and we currently have more than 40 wishes pending all over the state,” Greenway said.
The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. It is the largest wish-granting charity in the nation, with 66 chapters in the United States and its territories. With the help of generous donors and more than 25,000 volunteers, the Make-A-Wish Foundation grants a wish every 40 minutes and has granted more than 171,000 heartfelt wishes since 1980.
Luxaire recently signed its third three-year contract with the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of America. This extends the partnership with the nation’s largest wish-granting organization into 2011 and commits $675,000 in contributions over three years.
Luxaire first embarked on a partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation in 2001, agreeing to donate a portion of every sale of a Luxaire product toward its minimum annual contribution of $250,000. Since that time, Luxaire has donated more than $1.75 million to the organization, enough to grant the wishes of 250 children diagnosed with life-threatening medical conditions.
The Luxaire network of distributors and dealers also works with Make-A-Wish chapters to organize a variety of fundraising activities, including raffles, golf outings and events affiliated with minor league baseball, Central Hockey League and Arena Football League teams. Using money raised by these and other fundraising activities, Luxaire has directly sponsored the wishes of more than 80 children in dealer markets.
Luxaire encourages homeowners to participate in the program by donating all or a portion of product rebates to their local Make-A-Wish chapter during spring and summer promotions of Luxaire brand products. A number of redesigned marketing materials will continue to support the program and raise consumer awareness.
Luxaire® products from Johnson Controls, Inc., include high-performance residential central air-conditioners, heat pumps, furnaces and accessories and light-commercial, packaged heating and cooling systems marketed through a network of distributors and delivered to home- and building-owners through independent Luxaire heating and air conditioning dealers. For more information about Luxaire, visit www.luxairebelievesinme.com or call 877-958-9247.
Johnson Controls
Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI) is the global leader that brings ingenuity to the places where people live, work and travel. By integrating technologies, products and services, we create smart environments that redefine the relationships between people and their surroundings. Our team of 140,000 employees creates a more comfortable, safe and sustainable world through our products and services for more than 200 million vehicles, 12 million homes and one million commercial buildings. Our commitment to sustainability drives our environmental stewardship, good corporate citizenship in our workplaces and communities, and the products and services we provide to customers. For additional information, please visit http://www.johnsoncontrols.com/.
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Please Direct Reader Inquiries to:
Walt Jacobe
Luxaire Brand Manager
Johnson Controls
5005 York Drive
Norman, OK 73069