Imagine if the energy of Lollapalooza was transferred into charity work. It has been - and it’s result is in Lake Area United Way’s PackaPalooza. The LAUW’s yearly event hosts different companies and their workers to come together and make meals to be donated towards the Foodbank of Northwest Indiana. The event is Lake Area’s answer to the United Way Day of Caring, Northwest Indiana’s largest communal effort of volunteering. From breakfast, to dancing while sorting noodles, the Packapalooza was an incredible morning for everyone involved.
Over 400 people from around 25 companies, along with individual volunteers, joined the Lake Area Way in their efforts on Friday morning at the Radisson Hotel in Merrillville - which is almost double the amount from the previous year. The power of word of mouth and the impression from previous years has lead to the event to grow to substantial and life changing numbers for the people who receive the meals made that morning.
To see all the photos from Packapalooza, click here!
“All of the 400 people here today will package over 115,000 meals in over two hours. That’s incredible.” Shellie Dell, LAUW Marketing Manager stated. “After we’re done all of food gets donated to different food pantries across Northwest Indiana. We’re really hoping that all of the fun we’ve had today really leaves an impression about what we do and that they carry that in their hearts. That was true last year and now more and more people want to be a part of this event.”
The event has certainly left an impression on their volunteers. It was evident from the biggest support from a singular company - NIPSCO. Out of the total number of volunteers 25% were there wearing the blue NIPSCO shirts. Deb Owen, Lake Area United Way Board Member and Vice President of Customer Service at NIPSCO, said that like many other companies who participated this event really stands out from the rest.
“[NIPSCO] has done this event for many years now and we absolutely love this event.” Owen stated. “Over 100 of the volunteers today are here from NIPSCO and that’s a tremendous thing to witness. Packapalooza is our employee’s favorite of the year because of the way they’re helping impact the community they live in. Plus the energy is electric and we’ve got a few competitions going on, so that makes things interesting.”
All the workers - in various bright yellow shirts - started off with breakfast in the morning and a spot of comedy from Crown Point Community Theatre’s improv group Makeshift Up. From then they were ushered downstairs to start their packing marathon. Each group were put together in an assembly line that put together the food, sealed the bags, and put them in a box to be delivered. During the packing, though, incredible part was not the fast pace of packing but the tangible energy. The United Way’s “party patrol” didn’t have to keep things upbeat - at every station there were people laughing, dancing, and cheering without being asked.
Lisa Daugherty, President and CEO of the Lake Area United Way, said that she is confident in the growth and continuation of this event being a staple for the organization. With the amount of fun and spirit coursing through the the lower ballroom that morning, it will continue on to grow and become better each passing year.
“People want to do more, be more, and see more of the good they’re doing in their community and this event is all of that in one.” Daugherty explained. “I think next year this room will be completely filled to where we have no space. In all to mobilize this many people in one day, in a few short hours with so much end product to help those who need assistance it’s really easy to see why so many people love to be a part of this. It’s a perfect recipe.”