Fuse Gives Back

Tomorrow, June 25th, 2014 United Way’s annual Day of Caring will begin with the help of Fuse Duluth’s new Volunteer Focus Committee for the first time. An enthusiastic group of 10 Fuse Duluth Volunteers will meet at the Depot (506 W. Michigan Street) at 8:00 a.m. to begin their morning by giving back to the community. The train will drop off these young professionals along with other volunteer groups at the tracks and the Lakewalk to pick up litter.

Rachel Malone, the Chair of Fuse’s Volunteer Focus committee stated, “At Fuse Duluth, we believe that long-term, devoted volunteers are the individuals that also keep Duluth alive. To help ignite the passion for volunteering and giving back, Fuse Duluth has formed a Volunteer Focus Committee. We are dedicated to giving back to the community that we love and encouraging other young professionals to do the same.”

Join us in thanking these dedicated volunteers for stepping up regardless of tomorrow's chilly forecast: Rachel Malone, Compudyne; Anna Pulles, Hanlon and Associates; James Fisher, Bagley & Company Jewelers; Erik McCort, U.S. Bank; Alyza Bohbot, Alakef Coffee Roasters; Lindsey Dueland, Lake State Credit Union; Josh Nonnemacher, Duluth Huskies; Tom Skull, American Heart Association; Katie Kundel, NuCara Pharmacy; and Martha Bremer, Director of Fuse Duluth.

United Way’s Day of Caring has a number of volunteer spots still remaining; with projects ranging from painting a porch to landscaping some of Duluth’s playgrounds. Duluthians are encouraged to get out for a few hours in the morning, afternoon or the whole day if able. Visit their website, http://volunteerduluth.galaxydigital.com/aam/general/event/?doc_id=557 for more information on these volunteer projects.

Fuse Duluth is the premier program for young professionals in the Twin Ports, presented by the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce. Fuse is a valuable resource for young professionals looking to get connected, for employers seeking to recruit local talent, and for businesses that want to build a presence with the 20 to 40 crowd.  The Chamber works in support of the Fuse Duluth mission: connecting young people to strengthen our community.

  

Fuse Leadership Council Nominations Requested

You have an exciting opportunity to strengthen Fuse by nominating a talented young professional leader to serve on the Fuse Leadership Council. This talented leader can be a colleague or yourself. In doing so you will join in our efforts to connect young people and strengthen our community. Serving on the Leadership Council is an effective and enjoyable way to collaborate with other young leaders who dedicate time and talent to the Fuse mission.

Incoming Council Members will serve a two-year term beginning August 4, 2014. Interested applicants must be willing to:

• accept a leadership role in one or more of the Fuse initiative,
• participate in Fuse and Chamber events,
• advance the Fuse program with new ideas,
• serve as an enthusiastic advocate for Fuse,
• and attend Council monthly meetings.

If you or someone you know is interested in serving on the Leadership Council, please let me know. I can be reached at (218) 740-3754 or mbremer@duluthchamber.com. Nominations will be accepted through 4:30pm on Monday, July 14th.

Martha Bremer

Director of Fuse Duluth

mbremer@duluthchamber.com  |  (218) 740-3754

 

 

 

 

 

Duluth Wins Best Town (article by Duluth News Tribune)

Duluth claims victory in magazine's 'best outdoors town' competition

By Andrew Krueger on Jun 15, 2014

Congratulations, Duluthians. You live in the best outdoors town in the country.

That’s the verdict after six rounds of online voting came to an end late Sunday night in Outside magazine’s annual “best outdoors town” competition.

Duluth cruised to an easy victory over Provo, Utah, in the final round of voting, accumulating about 66,750 votes to about 54,850 for Provo. Duluth had earlier beat Columbia, Mo.; Athens, Ohio; La Crosse, Wis.; Minneapolis; and then Asheville, N.C., in head-to-head competition to reach the final.

Throughout the contest, the city’s hiking, skiing, biking, kayaking and other outdoor assets were promoted by an active social media campaign, with a “VoteDuluth” tag being used on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Now, Duluth will be featured in an upcoming issue of the magazine — and the city also will be able to use the title to promote itself to prospective visitors, residents and businesses.

The city previously was featured in Outside’s “Best Towns” list in 2007, and was on the magazine’s list of “Dream Towns” in 2001.

Duluth Mayor Don Ness said Sunday that winning an online vote may be “nothing earth-shattering” on its own, but he said Duluth’s victory in this competition carries some greater significance.

“I think it’s important to note a very real and significant change in our city that has resulted in this victory — a fundamental shift in how people think about Duluth,” Ness posted to Facebook on Sunday as the outcome became clear. “Over the past month, we saw people from all over the country weigh in and proclaim how much they love this city. ... The recognition of the change in our city in recent years is important and it is significant.”

The outdoors and adventure-oriented magazine’s annual “best place to live in America” winner was chosen by online voting this year, with 64 communities starting the competition in May.



  

#VoteDuluth

Our beloved Zenith City - located on the Greatest of the Great Lakes - may soon be identified as Outside Magazine's Best Outdoor Lifestyle City in America. We are in the final stretch of a contest that started with Outside Magazine's 64 favorite towns in the country. Duluth and Provo, Utah are the two remaining contestants.

Voters will decide who wins. The contest ends Sunday, June 15, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. When I voted earlier today, Duluth was in the lead with 44,368 votes compared to Provo's 33,181.

We must tenaciously fight to retain this lead. We can do it - if we finish strong. To finish strong, we need your vote. Simply link to the online voting site by visiting VoteDuluth.com. Voting is quick and easy. Conversely, when we win, the positive results will be enjoyed for several years.

Being selected as the best town in America will illustrate how the rest of America has come to know what we have known for years. Duluth is a remarkably beautiful place brimming with outdoor recreational activities. The rest of our great nation is increasingly aware of what we have valued for many years, our abundant green space and our wealth of freshwater resources.

Let's finish strong, Duluth. Vote today at VoteDuluth.com.

In support and in optimism,

David Ross,
President & CEO
Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce

 


 

Bus Bike Walk Month

The weather’s finally nice and if you’re like me you want to be outside, all the time!  For me, bussing or biking to work is just the mental transition I need to start and end my day.

Throughout the month of May Duluth highlighted active transportation with a number of fun events.

There were Savvy Cyclist Traffic Skill courses and the unveiling of the 1st of 5 bike fix-it stations. You can check out the station on the Lakewalk next to Endion Station.  Trees were planted along a bike route on East Superior Street and Duluth Coffee Co hosted a carless themed art show of local artists.  On National Bike to Work Day the Mn Plaza was a morning stop for bike tune-ups, free coffee and smoothies blended by the power of a bike.  

That afternoon 65 bicyclists rode with the Mayor for the 3rd Annual Mayor’s Bike Ride followed by a even better attended luncheon highlighting all the progress the City has made and where we are headed in terms of bike and pedestrian ways throughout the community.  The month’s activities are wrapping up with a ceremony to congratulate 8 bike friendly businesses in Duluth.  Those who ranked Silver are Twin Ports Cyclery, Continental Ski and Bike, and the YMCA.  Awarded Bronze designation are Duluth Coffee Co, Barr Engineering, Aerostitch, Ski Hut East, and Ski Hut West.  Throughout the month there were more than 15 events spread around the community.

Also this year, Duluth was awarded a Bronze designation as a Bike Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists and was ranked #3 trail city in North America!

Duluth is making great strides to establish itself as a healthy active destination city designed around it natural surroundings.

If you are interested in getting involved with all the exciting changes happening to the Duluth active transportation landscape check out the links below!

http://healthyduluth.org/   |  http://wp.coggs.com/   |  http://www.duluthmn.gov/planning/superior-street/

Tiersa Dodge
Fuse Duluth Leadership Council - Chair
DSGW Architects

Help Us Defining the Housing Needs in Duluth

Fuse is on a mission to define the growing need for affordable housing in our beloved community. Whether you are single and looking to rent an apartment downtown or a family of six looking for a new home in a quiet neighborhood for over $500,000, we want to hear from you.

 Fuse is proud to be partnering with 1Roof Community Housing and Duluth LISC to create a valuable survey to define who, what and where the needs are. This is your chance to be heard, define what Duluthians are looking for and encourage appropriate development in the areas that you want to live in. We encourage you to take a few minutes to help distinguish our communities housing needs.

Follow the link to the survey that best applies to you>>>     Property Renter     Home Owner

Fuse Gives Back

Give back, get ahead. The title for Fuse Duluth’s latest Words From the Wise luncheon couldn’t be more accurate. Echoed in the sentiments from the experienced panelists, giving back helps you get ahead, in every aspect of your life.

On May 8^th, Kraus-Anderson Construction graciously sponsored our wide array of panelists and delicious Blackwoods meal. Speaking on behalf of their expertise was Adam Sundberg from COGGS, Valerie Clark from Goodwill Duluth, Liz Pawlik from the United Way, and John Scott from DSGW Architects.

Beginning by describing what ignited their passion for volunteering, Scott summed it up best when he said, “… you had a purpose and a need.” As an individual you have a purpose in life, it may be your career, it may be your family, but it may lie outside of that and could be volunteering. Once you can identify your purpose, you have a need to fulfill your purpose. These feelings and callings can ignite your passion for volunteering, whether you know you have it or not.

The panelists were asked how to find the right volunteer position. What resources do they use to discover new opportunities or what resources are available to help capitalize on an idea for a new opportunity. Pawlik identified the Volunteer Center website (www.volunteerduluth.org) as a comprehensive list of opportunities, organizations, or events happening in Duluth.

The panelists reflected that once they found their passion, they needed to find the right balance between work, personal, and volunteering. Scott found that if he participated in activities that didn’t compromise his work but supplemented his life, they were the right activities for him. Clark mentioned that her passion led her to make volunteering her career, by working for Goodwill Duluth, she can balance her personal life with her passion for her career and her dedication to giving back.

An audience member asked if the panelists are seeing a trend toward increased volunteerism or decreased participation, in Duluth. Pawlik summarized by saying the trend seems to be for that one-day, one-time, feel-good opportunity. Participants want to do something good but are satisfied after an 8-hour day. While there are needs for all types of volunteers, the individuals that have the passion to become a long-term, devoted volunteer are the individuals that keep organizations and non-profits alive.

At Fuse Duluth, we believe that those long-term, devoted volunteers are the individuals that also keep Duluth alive. To help ignite the passion for volunteering and giving back, Fuse Duluth has formed a Volunteer Focus Committee. Their aim is to provide opportunities for Fuse members to dip their toes in the volunteer pool, before jumping head first.

For our first activity, Fuse has formed a team of people to help participate in the United Way Day of Caring. On June 25^th, members will be gathering from 8AM to 12PM at the Depot, to help clean the train tracks and the lake walk. If you are interested in getting involved or in learning more about the event, please contact Fuse Director Martha Bremer  or Volunteer Focus Chair Rachel Malone.

For further recap of the event, check out Fuse Duluth’s Twitter page, where the event was Live-Tweeted. Follow us at @fuseduluth for future events and all of your Fuse Duluth news.

Rachel Malone
Fuse Duluth Leadership Council
Compudyne, Inc.