In what is now becoming an annual June event, Medtronic employees – mostly veterans of the Armed Services – are making a difference at a place designated to honor service men and women.  

More than 60 employees and their families recently spent the day picking up the grounds at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis. 

“Many of us have family members buried here,” said Chris Lammers, a Medtronic employee. “This means a lot to us.”

The clean-up effort aligns with the mission of the Medtronic  Veterans Employee Resource Group (VERG): to build a strong network for military veterans at Medtronic, create leadership opportunities for its members, and to raise awareness of the contributions of veterans in the workplace.

“It’s important to be out here,” said Paula Bixby, a four-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force. “We want to make sure this is well maintained because they deserve it.”

The influx of visitors on Memorial Day leaves the 430-acre cemetery with decaying flowers and other items left behind near gravestones.

“No matter when or where you served, this is a great opportunity for us to come together as a group and honor all veterans, including those who came before us,” said Jason Feipel, Director of Global Quality Strategy and co-chair of VERG at Medtronic.

The volunteer effort was part of Project 6, a month-long company-wide effort to encourage volunteerism among employees.