VSP Newsletter

August 2016

VSP Board Learning – Connecting - Serving Chair, Ron Stuedemann 763-755-6548 Ice Cream Social – LOCATION CHANGE!! [email protected] The VSP Annual Ice Cream Social is Tuesday, August 16, from 1:30-3:00pm. This event will be held at the Rice Creek Facility in the SW corner of the Secretary and Membership, Cafeteria, NOT the Skyway as originally advertised. Deadline to register is Carol Baumgartner Friday, August 12. See flyer with additional information at end of this 651-464-6049 newsletter. You MUST pre-register! [email protected] Tuesday Night Mixed Bowling League Social Events, Jan Miskowic There are openings for new teams and individuals to fill teams. The league is 763-425-0508 for Medtronic employees, retirees, and contractors only. League play is [email protected] Tuesdays at 5pm, Sept. 13 - March 29, at Brunswick Zone in Blaine (Hwy 65 & 113th). If you have been considering gathering your friends to form a team or Marketing, Jan Prazak are looking to join an existing team, don't miss this opportunity to share in all 763-544-9612 the fun. Bowl full-time or part-time. Cost is $12/week. Full-time bowlers pay [email protected] $12 every week regardless of whether you can bowl. Part-time bowlers pay $12 every other week. Each team has three bowlers bowling every Tuesday. Volunteer Events, You can have up to six bowlers on your team roster and rotate. To sign up or Judy Bergman ask questions, contact the league secretary Cindy Lafond. 651-295-4507 [email protected]

MECC Family Day – RSVP by August 26 Medtronic Energy and Component Center will be hosting a Family Day on Newsletter, th Dianne Ohlenkamp, Saturday, September 10 . If you are a Medtronic MECC retiree, we invite you 763-786-8379 and a guest to come and participate in our free fun-filled event. We will be [email protected] hosting many activities including self-guided tours, contests, interactive booths and product display booths along with BINGO! The event runs from 11:00 am Lunch & Learn Events and – 3:00 pm with lunch being served between 11:30 am – 2:30 pm. An RSVP is Webmaster, Jerry Hartlaub required. If you have interest in attending this event, please contact Lindsay 651-633-0281 Mahle at [email protected] and she will provide you [email protected] with more information and get you signed up for the event.

Treasurer, Medtronic VSP Fall 2016 Outing Denise Corbett Mark your calendar for the annual Fall Outing which will happen on Thursday, [email protected] October 13. This year it’s all things as we travel to Austin, MN, where we will visit the Museum, enjoy lunch at the , visit Board Member, the and, lastly, a tour of the city. See attached flyer for details Karen Kutzner and sign up information. [email protected] VSP Holiday Social It seems like a long way off yet but time flies so mark your calendar now for the annual VSP Holiday Social which is scheduled for Wednesday, December Website: http://mdtretirees.org/ 7, at the Mermaid in Mounds View.

In Remembrance - Mike Ellwein - http://www.startribune.com/obituaries/detail/149811/?fullname=michael- d-ellwein

CANCER BENEFIT FUND "The Cancer Benefit Fund - 's Path to a Cure" raises dollars to fund innovative cancer research. For 18 years, this non-profit (and totally volunteer team with many past and present Medtronic connections) has worked tirelessly to raise nearly $1 Million dollars for dedicated University of Minnesota Masonic Cancer Center researchers! Additionally, 25% of our funds go to patient / family care including cancer survivorship programs, blanket warmers, and educational support for both survivors and their families as well as the public. Recent Medtronic honorees have been Barb Fellegy, past chair, and Win & Maxine Wallin, generous supporters of the cancer research effort. Please consider attending our "Raise One to Cure One" fundraiser at Surly's Brewing Company. 520 Malcolm Avenue SE, , on September 22, 5 – 9:00pm. Enjoy special Surly micro brews with assorted hors d'oeuvres, blue grass music from Monroe Crossing and all the while help fund the research to find the cure! Go to www.cancerbenefitfund.org for complete information, to buy tickets, become a sponsor, check out our great on-line auction available September 12 or consider helping with a tax-deductible donation. Please help by passing this request along. Jack St. Ores & Carol Baumgartner, CBF Board Members ([email protected]).

Project Warm Hearts Volunteer Opportunity Would you like to share your time and talents from the comfort of your own home to keep community members warm? Project Warm Hearts is for you! There will be a meeting for Medtronic retirees or spouses interested in knitting, crocheting or sewing items for community donation at Medtronic Operational Headquarters on September 23, 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. Please contact Karen Kutzner at [email protected] or 763-560-7995 by September 15 if you would like to join the group, for additional information, or to contribute yarn, cotton or flannel fabric to the Project Warm Hearts volunteers.

Bakken Museum - Evenings @ You won't want to miss the next 21+ event! These MN makers take curiosity and tech inventions to a whole new level. Immerse yourself in virtual reality, experience drones on our green roof and much more. Don't forget to grab food/drinks from Natedogs and D'Amico while listening to music from Empathy Cell.

Save the Date for future Evenings @ The Bakken: August 11 - "Birds and the Bees" October 27 - "Mary and Her Monster" exhibit premier party!

Walk to End Alzheimer’s – September 17 Join the Medtronic team at the Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Saturday, September 17, 9:00 a.m. at Target Field. To register and donate go to: http://act.alz.org/goto/TeamMedtronic. The Mission in Motion Your Cause Event ID = 3374005

VSP VOLUNTEER REPORT

Thank you to those that participated in the Project 6 volunteer event at FMSC on either June 13th or June 23rd. They packed enough meals to feed 378 kids in the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Uganda every day for an entire year! Go to the FMSC blog to read more about this volunteer event. http://fmscblog.com/in-the-packing-room/medtronic/

Thank you to these VSP members for volunteering at the Special Olympics Golf event on July 11th: Judy Bergman, Tim Corrigan, Andrea DuCharme, Mike Funck, Jill Hatch, Roger Hatch, Roger Larson, Dean Rustad, Diana Ursin and Tom Ursin. The group drove the golf carts and kept score for the participants. The participants were playing to qualify for the state Special Olympics golf tournament.

Thank you to these VSP members for volunteering at the Medtronic/Red Cross blood drive on July 18th - 21st: Judy Bergman, Ruel Carpenter, Andrea DuCharme, Sue Harwood, Pat Hoy, Judy Kotaska, Roger Larson, Dean Rustad, Kathy Rustad, Dianne Ohlenkamp, Ron Stuedemann and Bob Trafton. 207 units of blood was collected during the blood drive. This is enough blood to help 621 individuals!!!

FUTURE VSP TEAM VOLUNTEER EVENTS:

- The Food Group – August 10 - Matter – September 24

The Food Group – New Hope, Wednesday, August 10 Registration is open*! We will be volunteering at the New Hope location at 8501 54th Avenue N. from 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. To register, please log into the Mission in Motion website using the below link and search for the event The Food Group – Retiree. https://medtronic.yourcause.com/yourcause-sso/contractorlogin.aspx?subdomain=medtronic If you do not have computer access, please call Judy Bergman at 651-295-4507 to register. If you need help with the website, please contact Alison Stinar at [email protected].

Matter – St. Louis Park, Saturday, September 24 Registration is open*! We will be volunteering at the St. Louis Park location at 7005 Oxford Street from 9:00 a.m. – noon. To register, please log into the Mission in Motion website using the below link and search for the event Matter – Retiree. https://medtronic.yourcause.com/yourcause-sso/contractorlogin.aspx?subdomain=medtronic If you do not have computer access, please call Judy Bergman at 651-295-4507 to register. If you need help with the website, please contact Alison Stinar at [email protected].

OTHER COMMUNITY OPPORTUNITIES FOR VOLUNTEERS:

Bakken Museum – Tour Guide and Other Volunteer Opportunities The Bakken Museum is looking for Tour Guides. If interested go to https://www.thebakken.org/volunteer to find the Tour Guide Job Description as well as other volunteer opportunities.

PRISM - Food Shelf Volunteer in Golden Valley Marketplace food shelf volunteers assist program participants with shopping, as well as greeting donors, sorting donations, stocking shelves, and assisting with routine food shelf maintenance. Call Mary, 612-704-6114, or Email Mary for more info.

AARP Foundation Experience Corps Literacy Tutors Volunteer as an in-classroom literacy tutor! Volunteers are placed in Kindergarten through Grade 3 classrooms in 15 schools and community sites across Minneapolis and St. Paul to work one-on-one with students who are not yet reading at grade-level. Tutors help to close the achievement gap by providing literacy support and serving as another caring adult students see at school. Stipends available for an 8-10 hour/week commitment through the school year.

For more information, contact Erin Simon, Volunteer Coordinator at 612-708-5933, or Email Erin for more info.

Project Pride in Living (PPL) - Housing Improvement Project Volunteer "Handy" volunteers needed to pitch in (or help lead crews) on volunteer projects for Project for Pride in Living's Housing Development and Property Management programs. Work with the Volunteer Coordinator and volunteer crews on projects of your choice including building raised beds, installing landscaping, planting, painting, apartment turnovers and minor repairs. Invest in better neighborhoods and improve housing stability and quality for families and individuals with lower incomes while meeting other volunteers. Choose the projects that fit your interests, skills, and schedule. No minimum time commitment. 2-6 hour projects are scheduled on weekdays, Saturdays, and occasional early evenings at housing sites (buildings and single-family homes) in Minneapolis, St. Paul and 1st-ring suburbs. Call Mary, 612-704-6114, or Email Mary for more info.

Sub-Saharan African Youth and Family Services Minnesota (SAYFSM) SAYFSM has the following volunteer opportunities:

1. Teach and assist program participants in knitting, quilting, sewing or spinning/weaving. a. The program is held Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. b. Volunteers can teach as frequently as they would like. c. Volunteers can assist with participants ongoing projects or bring in their own projects for the participants to work on. 2. SAYFSM is seeking a volunteer with a background in sales or marketing to help develop a sales and marketing strategy for selling the program’s goods. This is a great skilled-service opportunity for a VSP member. 3. Cotton cloth donations for the program to be used for projects.

You can learn more about the SAYFSM Fiber Arts Program at http://www.sayfsm.org/services/services-self- sufficiency

OTHER COMMUNITY OPPORTUNITIES: Please check the following websites for other individual and small group volunteer opportunities: http://www.volunteermatch.org/search/index.jsp?r=20.0&aff=&l=Minneapolis%2C+MN%2C+USA&o=recency&s=11

MEDTRONIC FOUNDATION GRANTS (VOLUNTEER AND MATCHING DONATIONS)

To log your hours for the 25-hour annual Volunteer Grants and to match your monetary donations to qualifying charitable organizations dollar for dollar through Medtronic Foundation’s Matching Grants program, go to the Mission in Motion website at http://medtronic.yourcause.com/yourcause-sso/contractorlogin.aspx?subdomain=medtronic.

If you have never used the site before, fill out the Retiree Registration form here: https://medtronicfoundation.wufoo.com/forms/medtronic-retiree-registration/. Submit your e-mail address. Within 48 hours, you will receive login credentials for the Mission in Motion community accessed above through Google, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Internet Explorer

For questions about this process or website, contact Noi Keothammakhoun at [email protected] or Alison Stinar at [email protected] .

MEDTRONIC VSP GROUP Annual Ice Cream Social

DATE: Tuesday, August 16, 2016

TIME: 1:30 - 3:00 pm

LOCATION: Rice Creek Facility Cafeteria (SW Corner of cafeteria – near windows) 7000 Central Ave. NE

RSVP: By Friday, August 12th to Jan Miskowic (see below)

COST: Free, sponsored by the Medtronic VSP Group

You are invited to join your fellow VSP members for a root beer float or sorbet served by the VSP Board. Our guest speaker is Gary King. Gary retired as a Medtronic Neurological Scientist in 2009 after serving 10 years inventing new therapies. Gary holds a PhD and has enjoyed employment at several medical device companies before Medtronic. His many passions include family and “doing good in the world”.

Gary will talk to us about “Leveraging ” which refers to Earl Bakken’s inspiration when he saw the movie as a child. Gary will share the numerous ways he has leveraged Medtronic Philanthropy’s Mission in Motion Program “for justice and peace and health” in various parts of our world. From the Philippines to Africa, Gary has great stories to tell. You’ll be amazed how the Medtronic Matching Grants and Volunteer Grants can be utilized for good.

The Ice Cream Social is open to the Medtronic VSP Group and significant others. Do not miss this event; it is always a great time to chat and catch up with your fellow retirees to learn what they are doing in their second life.

For planning and security purposes, please RSVP to Jan Miskowic at [email protected] or 763-425-0508 no later than Friday, August 12. A security badge will be prepared in advance. Enter the main building at the Rice Creek Facility (located on the west side of Central) and pick up your badge at the security desk. Please be prepared to show a photo ID.

MEDTRONIC VSP GROUP Austin, MN Fall Outing Thursday, October 13, 2016

Join fellow retirees for a fun filled day as we travel to Austin, MN in a comfy bus from Minnesota Coaches. This is a wonderful way to experience crisp fall weather and lots of beautiful fall scenery. The all day tour offers something for everyone.

Our first stop will be at Hormel Foods’ recently reopened . To celebrate its 125-year anniversary, Hormel Foods is hoping to attract 125,000 visitors to the museum in the next twelve months with interactive exhibits and galleries looking at Spam's popularity around the globe, Spam's history with the US military, and Spam today. It also features a set of bluegrass instruments made of Spam cans, a 12-foot Spam rocket, a Spam can conveyor suspended from the ceiling, and a Spam children's play area.

At our second stop, the Hormel Historic Home, we will have lunch and go on a self-guided tour. The stately 14 room house, built in 1871, was the home of the George A. Hormel Family. It has stained glass windows, decorative woodwork, pillars imported from Italy, Tiffany light fixtures, Greek marble fireplace.

We will be treated to a delicious German Jagerschnitzel meal: Pork cutlet with mustard- infused sauce spätzle, hot German potato salad, grilled asparagus, red cabbage sauerkraut and an apple strudel desert with whipped cream.

Our next stop will be the Hormel Institute, a world leader in cancer research through the study of food agents and cell functions. Started in 1942 by Jay C. Hormel, The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota has a seven-decade history of making significant scientific discoveries aimed at improving the health of the world. For the past 20 years, The Hormel Institute has targeted its cutting-edge research on better ways to prevent, detect and treat cancer’s basic molecular mechanisms by focusing on developing new anti- cancer agents.

Our last activity of the day will be a guided Austin city tour where we will be introduced to local points of interest and lesser known or quirky sites. At the end of the tour you will be given a spam cookbook.

The total cost for this fun filled outing is only $45 per person. Taxes and gratuity are included for the meal and the bus driver. A portion of the cost of this trip is being subsidized by the VSP Group.

Bus leaves at: 8:30 AM Pickup Location: Target (694/Central Ave.) Fridley MN (Please park in SE corner of the lot) Return time: Approximately 6:30pm Registration deadline: Wednesday, September 21, 2016 Direct tour questions to: Jan Miskowic 763-425-0508 or [email protected] …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Registration:

Name(s):______

______

______number of attendees @ $45.00 each = Total enclosed $______

Make checks payable to: Medtronic VSP Mail reservations to: Denise Corbett 1601 Rice Creek Road NE Fridley, MN 55432-5238