Boyer & Associates is proud to support the Lifeworks Annual Celebration this Thursday, April 27. The annual event honors people with disabilities and those who support them.
More than 1,000 guests, including five team members from Boyer & Associates, are expected to attend this year’s event at The Depot in Minneapolis. The event includes dinner, a silent auction and a live auction, but for Jack Boyer, president of Boyer & Associates, the highlight of the evening is always the Lifeworks Annual Awards.
“I think the award winners are always very inspirational stories,” he said. “It makes me glad that we’re partnering with Lifeworks and all the good things that they’re doing.”
This year marks the seventh year that Boyer & Associates has participated in the annual celebration, which doubles as a fundraiser for the nonprofit organization.
Presenting sponsors for this year’s event are Atomic Data, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota and Carlson Commercial. Several other companies, including Boyer & Associates, support the organization’s mission and help sponsor the event.
In addition to sponsoring a table at the annual celebration, Boyer & Associates supports the nonprofit organization’s financial management software, Microsoft Dynamics SL. Read the case study.
Below are the winners of the 2017 Lifeworks Annual Awards:
Lunds & Byerlys received the Employer of the Year Award, which goes to a company whose leadership has gone above and beyond to include people with disabilities in the workforce. The family-owned grocery store has partnered with Lifeworks for 15 years. Its six Twin Cities locations currently employ a dozen individuals who are served by Lifeworks.
Jon Ehresmann and Andy Thornbrough were awarded the Staff Excellence Award, which acknowledges the dedication of individuals who work directly with people with disabilities. In their spare time, the two manage the Lifeworks Rock of Ages Band. Just a dream five years ago, the rock band features individuals with disabilities who perform together throughout the Twin Cities.
Similarly, the Advocate/Volunteer of the Year Award goes to a person who has donated significant time and energy toward helping individuals with disabilities integrate within the community. This year’s winner was Dennis Stern, who teaches a weekly geography class at Lifeworks’ Eagan and Bloomington locations. Stern includes photos of his own travels to give the students a taste of traveling the globe.
Two people who receive services from Lifeworks received a Personal Achievement Award, including Niko Winjum. Over the last year, he has obtained a job at the Eagan YMCA, started living on his own and learned how to live an ordinary life.
Maggie Erickson also received a Personal Achievement Award for her tireless do-it-all attitude. She is the reigning Miss Amazing Minnesota, works at Target Field, takes classes at Bethel University, works with the Down Syndrome Association of Minnesota and The Arc Greater Twin Cities and is a Special Olympics athlete — just for starters.
Congratulations to this year’s winners! Dozens of nominations were received for each of the awards, and the winners will be honored during the celebration dinner.