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Good people doing good things was the theme last week as RLE participated in Make a Difference Day 2014.

Make a Difference Day, sponsored by the United Way of Larimer County, provided the awesome opportunity for all RLE employees to get outside, roll up their sleeves, and do some good work for good people. And man, did Team RLE WORK!

Time and energy was dedicated to helping W.O.L.F Sanctuary, a nonprofit located just northwest of Fort Collins that rescues endangered wolves and wolf-dogs, provides them sanctuary, and educates the public about these animals. Currently, the staff there is very busy caring for 30 animals, each with their own disposition and back story. It's a great organization, and they had some large projects that would have been really difficult for them to accomplish themselves. Hit in recent years by both forest fires and a 100 year flood, W.O.L.F. was in need of some help. So RLE employees pitched in, spending two great days in the outdoors, giving back together.

The first RLE group worked to clear a large (1.5 acre) wolf enclosure that had been damage by the forest fire. The enclosures are built on the side of a ravine, and trees were scorched from the top of the rise to the base of the enclosure. Team 1 pulled out all the fallen timber, hauled it through a series of security gates, and ran it all through the wood chipper. Then, they got to help feed the wolves - which is less hazardous and more meat-juicy than one might expect. As that group will tell you, "If you don't have a little chicken liver in your hair, you're probably doing it wrong!"
The second RLE group was back in that same enclosure, spreading all the mulch that the first group made. Mulch was hauled in 5 gallon buckets through the fences and spread around the perimeter of the enclosure, to prevent the animals from digging out. Buckets were chucked back down the ravine Donkey Kong style, which kept everyone on their toes. At 7,500 feet of altitude, there was enough huffing and puffing to remind everyone why this was certainly not a job that could be accomplished by one or two people.

Make a Difference Day received an overwhelmingly positive response from the RLE team. It's nice to get out and give back, and it's especially rewarding to be able to do that with your coworkers. RLE employees work hard every day, and to be able to do that as a gift to a worthy organization makes it even more meaningful. Plus, Team RLE has a lot of hidden talents - Nick can haul some really big trees; Don can carry four heavy buckets of mulch up a ravine at once; Josh can run a chipper all. day. long; Kendra, Steph, and Rebecca can make huge raw "meatballs" and heave them over an eight foot fence without getting too much splashback in their hair. But most of all, everyone at RLE has seen the difference that can be made when a group works toward a common goal. Together, teams can move mountains (and sometimes mountains of brush and mulch)!

Whether it's the giving of your time, your abilities, or your resources, we'd love to know how your company gives back. Send us your experiences and your pictures, so we can reference them as we plan our giving for 2015.

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