On Oct. 8th, 2013, Felling Trailers held its first online auction of an FT-3 drop deck utility trailer. Felling Trailers’ goal then and still today is to bring awareness to various nonprofits that are making a difference by donating 100% of the winning bid from the auction to a different nonprofit each year. This fostered a company tradition of giving back. “There are many great organizations and causes doing good things. Unfortunately, we have limited resources so we decided choosing a different cause each year would be two-fold: raise awareness of an important cause while giving back to various communities,” said Brenda Jennissen President/CEO of Felling Trailers. Since the inception of the Trailer for a Cause (T4C) there have been 9 nonprofits that have received over $30,000 of winning bids. The first T4C benefited Bright Pink a national nonprofit organization that focuses on the prevention and early detection of breast and ovarian cancer in young women while also providing support for high-risk individuals. Centre Dairy Equipment and Supply located in Sauk Centre, MN was the winning bidder of $2,650 for the trailer.
“There are many great organizations and causes doing good things. Unfortunately, we have limited resources so we decided choosing a different cause each year would be two-fold: raise awareness of an important cause while giving back to various communities.”
– Brenda Jennissen President/CEO of Felling Trailers
In the coming years nonprofit organizations such as Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, Alzheimer’s Disease Organization (ACTonALZ), American Brain Tumor Association, and Special Olympics of Minnesota were recipients.
Felling Employees Choose Non-Profits
In 2018, Felling Trailers put the T4C beneficiary selection into the hands of their employees. Minnesota Ovarian Cancer Alliance was the choice for the next Trailer for a Cause. “In past years, we would meet as a family and select the benefitting organization. This year, we put that decision in the hands of our employees. A list of organizations was given to employees to select from, and once the votes were tallied, MOCA had received the most votes in their favor,” said Brenda Jennissen President/CEO of Felling Trailers. This was also the same year that a previous auction winner, won the bid on another T4C, Jon and Laurie Stein. Leading with his heart, this was Jon’s second Trailer for a Cause that he had bid on and won. Jon was the bid winner on Felling’s inaugural Trailer for a Cause auction in 2013 that benefited Bright Pink. “A good friend of the family had breast cancer, so the pink trailer had a lot of meaning for us,” said Jon. The MOCA trailer held an even more special meaning to Jon. Jon’s wife Laurie is an Ovarian Cancer survivor.
Impacting Many Organizations & People
In the years that followed, organizations like Children’s Cancer Research, Lymphoma Research Foundation, and the Minnesota Fire Fighters Foundation were chosen by the Felling Trailers team members. The MNFFF was also special for Felling, “Having almost a dozen volunteer firefighters on our team makes it even more personal, and we’re honored to give back to this statewide organization that works to educate and bring awareness to all of our Minnesota firefighters.” said Brenda Jennissen, President/CEO of Felling Trailers. MNFFF’s mission is to provide funding and resources for Fire Departments to obtain the best available equipment, technology, and training. MNFFF’s Hoods 4 Heroes campaign goal is to provide 500 particulate hoods to those departments that cannot afford this type of PPE (personal protective equipment) or have applied for grants and been denied.
Eagle’s Healing Nest for Veterans
This year is Felling’s 10th annual Trailer for a Cause auction and again is special to the Felling Team. Eagle’s Healing Nest, a local nonprofit that provides a place of peace and healing for veterans struggling with issues ranging from PTSD, traumatic brain injuries, anxiety, depression, and years of homelessness to addiction. Located in Sauk Centre, MN, on 124 acres with 24 buildings, Eagle’s Healing Nest is operated by veterans and volunteers with no government funding received. “Having about 20 veterans on our team and being founded by a United States Air Force veteran makes it even more personal, and we’re honored to give back to Eagle’s Healing Nest to care for our country’s heroes and meet their needs,” said Brenda Jennissen, President/CEO of Felling Trailers. A late summer 2022 auction is being planned for Trailer for a Cause. Leading up to the auction, Felling Trailers will work with Eagle’s Healing Nest to generate awareness about the invisible wounds of war that our veterans carry.
“In 10 years, I hope we raise awareness of the good 10 more organizations are doing good and continue to make a financial impact to continue their good works.”
– Brenda Jennissen, President/CEO of Felling Trailers
