By JAMES BELL
Hays Post
A little over a year ago, Sunrise AgriBusiness Solutions opened in Hays. Even in that short amount of time, Travis Brunner, owner and president, along with his wife, Laura, have decided to give back some of their success with “Grain that Gives” — a program that will see a penny from each bushel sold to the business given to the Salvation Army through the month of December.
“A penny a bushel doesn’t sound like that much,” Brunner said. “But we have already done like 800,000 bushels.”
With another contribution from another area feedlot company that buys grain from the company, he said the total is already substantial.
“So he has already donated something close to $2,000. So right now, we are over $10,000 because of the match," Brunner said.
And rather than send donated funds to a single location, Brunner will spread it out across their coverage area, based on the purchase location.
“Wherever the grain is purchased from, that’s where we partner with the Salvation Army,” he said.
Brunner is also hopeful others will sign up to drive the total even higher. Some have already done so.
Once local farmers heard about the program, and since they would not be buying grain, they have donated directly to the program, he said.
Even as the donation amount continues to grow through the end of the month, the company has also dedicated donations of food and toys for those in need.
The Ellis County Salvation Army will be receiving around 60 baskets of food, Brunner said.
“It’s a fun way, and it’s a good thing to give back,” he said. “We felt this was a way to give back.”
Being able to give back to the communities they serve was a large part of his goal when he launched the business last August.
“When I went out on my own and started Sunrise AgriBusiness Solutions a little over a year and half ago, we wanted to be a financial benefactor,” he said. “I wanted to give back to the communities that help enrich our lives.”
Brunner said his family has been extremely fortunate with the business and so has also been able to give money back to the Arc — for the ARC Park — and some different families in town, he said.
As the Brunners were searching for ways to give back, they looked at the rural communities that are often overlooked by large charitable organizations and developed the idea of the program that assists those rural areas often overlooked — and found the Salvation Army was the best partner to use the donations.
“I felt a connection with Salvation Army,” he said.
Along with the monetary donations, the company also has donated needed items along with toys to area children.
“It’s something that we felt we needed to do and we wanted to commit to that original commitment to ourselves that if we are fortunate and blessed being in business it is our civic duty to give back,” Brunner said.
“This year has been hell on a lot of people and a lot of families and rural America tends to get left behind,” he said. “And so it is kind of our way to remember those that are in our communities, especially kids and those that are struggling to put groceries in the refrigerator.”
More information about Sunrise AgriBusiness Solutions can be found at sunriseabs.com.
