Skip to main content

Monsanto donates $2,500 to Pavilion Fire Department

By Howard B. Owens

The Pavilion Fire Department received a $2,500 donation today from the Monsanto Fund, thanks to Roberta Klapper, of Noblehurst Farms.

Nate Holt, district sales manager for Monsanto, explained that the company started a program four years ago of making a donation to the charity of a farmer's choice in select counties across the nation. Each year, there are donations in more than 1,200 counties in 39 states.

It's not unusual for the selected farmer to pick a local fire department for the donation, Holt said.

"As I've done this over the years, it's been a chance to educate myself about volunteer fire departments," Holt said. "We tend to think that being a fire department they get funding through taxpayers, but no, that's not entirely the case. A good amount of their funding comes from chicken BBQs, pancake dinners, fundraising events that get them the money they need to support us when we need them the most."

Klapper said she appreciates what the volunteers in Pavilion do to keep the community safe.

"It's one of those organizations we all hope we never have to call upon, but when we do, we're glad to know they're there," Klapper said. "As a volunteer organization, we know they struggle with funds and we wanted to do what we could to help them."

Pictured are Roberta Klapper, representing Noblehurst Farms, Nate Holt, regional sales manager for Monsanto, Chad Freeman, Pavilion fire chief, and Doug Wright, Pavilion Fire District president.

Jeff Allen

Yes, the Pavilion Volunteer Fire Department should definitely take valuable time they don't have to vet much needed donations so that they can sleep at night knowing that they only accept money from organizations that deal in rainbows, unicorns, and butterfly dreams.

Mar 3, 2014, 7:58pm Permalink
C. M. Barons

"the greatest thing by far is to have a command of metaphor. This alone cannot be imparted by another; it is the mark of genius, for to make good metaphors implies an eye for resemblances.”
― Aristotle, Poetics

Mar 4, 2014, 2:13am Permalink

Authentically Local