Employee/Citizen Generosity

I'd like to recognize a few of the ways our City employees give back to their community (outside their work).

Every year the City has an annual giving campaign that benefits both the United Way and Iowa Shares. Thanks to employee contributions, we raised over $6000 in the fall of 2006 for community agencies, including over $3000 for WDM Human Services and the Police Department's Youth Justice Initiative.

We also had a group of police officers participate in a slightly less-typical event. 2nd watch Officers Tom Wynn, Scott Gass, Craig Weatherall, Brad Herrera, Adam Porath, Ryan Purdy, Jason Bryan and SOU Eric Donielson participated in the Polar Plunge on Saturday, Nov. 18, braving water temperatures of 43 degrees while raising money for the Law Enforcement Torch Run to benefit Special Olympics. These brave souls submerged themselves in the frigid Big Creek water and swam to the rescue divers and back. All managed to emerge from the water unscathed!



As employees, we largely reflect the generosity of the greater City. Now that the holidays are behind us, we can reflect on the extraordinary quantity and quality of gifts and donations we received in 2006, mostly going through Human Services to those in need in our community and the western suburbs. Although there is need in West Des Moines, there are also people willing and able to help temper it. Thanks to everyone who gave or volunteered on behalf of any organization last year!