REFUEL: A Motivational Event for a Good Cause

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It’s not uncommon for employers to hold events meant for teambuilding and professional development for their employees – and that’s what REFUEL was originally going to be for sister companies Launch Digital Marketing and Dealer Inspire

“For my job, I get to hear stories from presenters they really touch me in certain ways, and in looking at our team I realized they don’t have that same opportunity so I wanted to bring some great speakers to them, some that I’ve seen before that have motivated me in my life,” said Joe Chura, CEO of Launch Digital Marketing and Dealer Inspire.

REFUEL was held in the Yellow Box Auditorium, which has a seating capacity of over 1,000 – much more than would be necessary for a private event, so it was made public for a good cause.

“Joe is a friend and neighbor, and he approached me with this idea on bringing Loaves & Fishes into the fold on what was a company event,” said CEO of Loaves & Fishes, Mike Havala. “His idea was to have all the proceeds from this event go to Loaves and Fishes and open up now to the public so they could benefit from the speakers that were here today.”

Speakers at the event included author Alison Canavan, motivational speaker Molly Burke, and former Navy SEAL Jeremiah Patrick Dinnell.

And between speeches, breakout sessions for yoga, mindfulness meditation, and gratitude journaling were held.

“This is really cool to get to come and see other people speak and motivate us. We got to see the first speaker, Allison, and I’ve already learned so much from it,” said Michelle McNamara, an account manager for Launch Digital Marketing.

Between tickets and sponsorships, REFUEL raised over $7,500 for Loaves & Fishes.

Launch and Dealer Inspire say they want to host REFUEL again next year. Their goal: to sell out Yellow Box Auditorium.

Naperville News 17’s Blane Erwin reports.