MINNEAPOLIS (10/20/22) – The Minneapolis Regional Chamber is pleased to announce the 2022 Minnesota Keystone Program honored companies. Mytech Partners, Olmsted Medical Center and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota were chosen for recognition due to their generous contributions to the community and their outstanding giving programs. 

Honored companies are selected each year from categories determined by business size. This year’s recipients were chosen from nearly 200 companies in the program, standing out for their unique giving programs and contributions. Serving as a model for other Minnesota businesses to follow, they will be honored at the 46th annual Minnesota Keystone Luncheon.  

“The Minneapolis Regional Chamber has proudly supported the Minnesota Keystone Program since its inception as the ‘5% Club’ in 1976,” said Chamber President and CEO, Jonathan Weinhagen. “Business plays a critical role, not only in the economic success of our region, but also in the overall well-being and quality of life for community members. The leaders of the companies who founded the program knew this and made it a priority to invest in and give back to the communities that helped them get started. Today, Minnesotan businesses set a national standard when it comes to corporate giving. The annual luncheon celebrates this and encourages all businesses, whether large or small, to give their time, money and resources to strengthen our communities.” 

The Minnesota Keystone program, led by the Minneapolis Regional Chamber, encourages any Minnesota based company that gives at least two to five percent of their pre-tax earnings back to the community to join. The companies can give back through any combination of volunteer time, in-kind or cash donations.  

Mytech Partners, recipient of the small business award, is a strategic information technology consulting and managed services provider that serves small to medium-sized businesses in Minnesota and Colorado. Their managed and co-managed services make IT easy for their clients by helping them implement a proven IT strategy that is aligned with their business goals. Since Mytech Partner’s beginning, they have believed that giving back to the community in which they work is imperative to their success. They created the Make A Difference Community Partner Grant which provides nonprofits with a minimum of 3 years of full managed and professional IT services. Mytech Partners helps nonprofits spend less time on IT issues so they can spend more time fulfilling their missions.  

Mytech Partners is also inspiring other companies in the IT industry to institute Make a Difference grants. Last year Mytech Partners was invited to speak at one of the largest managed and IT service provider conferences and share their experience creating and deploying their grant process. They connected with several IT providers from across the country who are now committed to starting this program in their markets.  

Olmsted Medical Center, recipient of the medium-sized business award, is southeastern Minnesota’s trusted community healthcare provider and is committed to delivering exceptional patient care focusing on caring, quality, safety, and service. Olmsted Medical Center is dedicated to being a good corporate citizen and an active, contributing partner in the communities it serves. Olmsted Medical Center supports programs, services, and activities of nonprofit organizations throughout southeastern Minnesota that are committed to improving the health and wellness of others.  

Olmsted Medical Center donated $50,000 to Families First of Minnesota Head Start. The need for childcare support has risen, particularly for those who are struggling to find reliable childcare so they can work and for those who are in urgent need of childcare. With the donation, Families First of Minnesota and OMC will partner to provide childcare scholarships to qualifying families in the community, to help defray entry costs and support training for new childcare providers, and to fund the Crisis Nursery which helps parents when an urgent need for childcare arises. 

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, (Blue Cross), the state’s largest not-for-profit health insurer, is the recipient of the large business award. The corporate giving and volunteering programs of Blue Cross drive positive change in communities throughout Minnesota, with a strategic focus on advancing racial and health equity. The essence and scope of their many social impact programs are clearly visible in the programs and partnerships they have created.  

One of these programs was the COVID-19 mobile vaccination buses. In 2021, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota teamed up with the Minnesota Department of Health, the Metropolitan Council and Metro Transit to transform a fleet of six buses into mobile vaccination clinics that could reach populations facing barriers to care. In total, 375 Blue Cross associates volunteered to administer more than 7,200 vaccines in 42 counties.  

Additionally, Blue Cross wanted to help seniors who were especially impacted by social isolation during the pandemic. Knowing that social connectedness is a key driver of good health, Blue Cross partnered with Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly to create and share heartfelt Valentines. Wanting to build upon the initial success of the program, the two organizations developed a new volunteer initiative—Quarterly Card Connect. By 2022, nearly 400 seniors were receiving regular reminders of how much they matter in the lives of others. 

Through their ongoing partnership with the YWCA Minneapolis, Blue Cross volunteers help to facilitate community-wide conversations and actions, fueled by the power of working together to make even healthier communities for all. To date, Blue Cross has helped to fund and build a “dream playground” at YWCA Midtown in Minneapolis; brought volunteers together for large scale YWCA events that address basic community needs; and trained nearly 50 associates to serve as racial justice facilitators. 

The 46th Annual Minnesota Keystone Luncheon will be held on Wednesday, December 7th at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis located at 1300 Nicollet Mall from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. To purchase a table or tickets to the luncheon, please call (612) 370-9100 or visit 2022 MN Keystone Celebration.  

Xcel Energy is the presenting sponsor of the luncheon. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, Huntington Bank, RBC Wealth Management and Target are premier sponsors. For a complete list of sponsors or for more information about the Minnesota Keystone Program, visit www.mplschamber.com/pages/MinnesotaKeystone.  

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