Hormel Institute Kicks Off Fund-Raising Campaign
By Roxana Orellana, Post-Bulletin, Rochester, Minn.
Nov. 21–A volunteer committee — Grow Science, Grow Austin — will spend the next several months working to raise $1 million for the Hormel Institute expansion.
The campaign was announced Monday evening to more than 200 business and community leaders attending “An Evening with the Hormel Institute” at the Paramount Theatre.
“We’re here to join forces with our community and tell them of the progress that we have made in bringing this great project to its present state,” Dick Knowlton, chairman of the Hormel Foundation, said. “We have the plans all in place. We have the budgets in place, and we are here to inform our Austin people and our community of our need for a little more extra help.”
In August, the institute announced a $20 million expansion through the collaboration and partnership of the Hormel Foundation and Mayo Clinic.
The cancer research facility, which is part of the University of Minnesota, will triple in size at its current location — 801 16th Ave. N.E. — and expand its research team.
Funding for the project includes $10 million from the Hormel Foundation and $5 million from Hormel Foods Corp.
Grow Science, Grow Austin wants to raise $1 million; the remaining $4 million would come from federal and state earmarked dollars along with other foundations and organizations.
The project also received support from the Austin City Council with a $10 million loan and Mower County Board with a $5 million loan.
Private donations already have begun to arrive. Gail Dennison, spokeswoman of the institute, said Knowlton gave a “significant” donation. Employees at the institute donated $14,500. Another $25,000 came from the Development Corp. of Austin. Harry Moelner of Rochester donated $6,000 in honor of his mother, who died of cancer in 1999.
Monday’s event included a video presentation of the institute’s mission and expansion project. The video included portions of August’s official expansion announcement with comments from Gov. Tim Pawlenty, University of Minnesota President Robert Bruininks and Mayo CEO Glenn Forbes.
The video will be shown by the fundraising committee throughout the community.
One of the speakers Monday night, Jerry Anfinson of the Hormel Foundation, invited those present to share the institute’s story and asked for help and support.
“I think we all agree that we have a very valuable gem in the Hormel Institute,” Anfinson said. “All we need to do now is to polish that gem and let its brilliance dazzle the world.”
Other speakers during the evening included Dr. Zigang Dong, executive director of the institute; Dr. Hugh Smith, former chairman of the Mayo Clinic Board of Trustees; Dr. Ann Bode, assistant director of the institute; Joel Johnson, chairman of the board for Hormel Foods Corp.; 1st District Rep.-elect Tim Walz; Carter Wagner, president of The Joseph Company; and Mayor Bonnie Rietz.
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Copyright (c) 2006, Post-Bulletin, Rochester, Minn.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News.
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