There’s a reason why baseball is America’s favorite pastime: it never fails to bring people together. On Wednesday, September 6 the La Porte Economic Advancement Partnership (LEAP) held its second annual Appreciation Day Outing. LEAP’s board members and sponsors headed out to the South Bend Cubs stadium for an evening of fun bonding and heartwarming appreciation.
LEAP used to hold an outing for its sponsor and board members with the La Porte Chamber of Commerce, but it fell by the wayside during the Pandemic. After all the hard work that its team had done, LEAP knew that it had to find a way to bring the event back. Its first Appreciation Day last year was a homerun; over 45 people had a great time talking over delicious food and even more delicious drinks.
This year’s outing was no exception. The event was the perfect opportunity for LEAP to further its mission by connecting individuals with one another.
“Our mission as an economic development organization is to help the businesses in our community thrive. A big part of that is bringing people together and encouraging them to talk and develop relationships,” said Mike Riehle, LEAP’s President of Business Services.
What made it even better was the casualness. It’s not often that people get to meet one another in a laid-back environment where they can just have fun and be themselves.
“I like getting to see people I don’t get to talk to all the time in a more relaxed setting. We’re here wearing shorts, watching the game, and having some great food and drinks together. It’s nice to spend time with each other in a more casual way,” said Riehle.
Most importantly, the outing was a great way for LEAP to show its board members and sponsors some appreciation for everything they do. All of LEAP’s board members work voluntarily on top of their full-time jobs. It’s extremely important that their kindness not go unrecognized.
As everyone laughed together and enjoyed the sunny evening, it was clear everyone felt appreciated. Kathy Henrich, former LEAP board member, was deeply touched when LEAP held its first Appreciation Day Outing last year.
“I volunteer because I enjoy it and think it’s important--I’ve never felt like I deserved something like this, but this is just a wonderful way that the LEAP team says thank you. We all have full-time jobs and volunteer in our free time and it’s nice that they show us this appreciation and thank us for doing things outside of our regular duties,” said Henrich.
Even though Henrich is no longer a board member, she knew she had to come out to this year’s event to show her support for LEAP and its mission.
“It’s a great way to support one another and build relationships with each other. We’re all here to help the community and help our city grow. The more we can work together the better it is for all of us,” said Henrich.
Ultimately, LEAP knocked the ball out of the park by strengthening countless relationships within the community and showing its board members and sponsors how much it cares.
“I can’t give enough thanks to all our board members and sponsors for all the things they do for us,” said Riehle.
Looking at all the smiling faces, there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that the outing had become one of LEAP’s greatest traditions. LEAP has even added the outing to its sponsorship packages so that all of its sponsors have the opportunity to be recognized for countless years to come.
“We just want to continue holding this event to show appreciation to our board members and sponsors. We’ll continue to hold it as long as people want to come. This is a great venue that is convenient for everyone to get to, but even if there’s another venue that pops up that people want to try we’ll do it,” said Riehle.
To learn more about the La Porte Economic Advancement Partnership and its close-knit team, visit laportepartnership.com.
