The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 292 recently wrapped up months of work at Freedom Farm culminating in the completion of their Insulate the Inside Arena project. The IBEW and Freedom Farm have a long-standing partnership. When the indoor arena was built in 2003, IBEW Local 292 provided the professional electricians to complete the wiring and donated money to purchase all of the arena lights.
Freedom Farm has been in existence since 2001 with a mission to enrich lives by partnering with the unique attributes of the horse to improve mobility, build confidence, and encourage personal growth in children and adults with physical, mental, and emotional challenges.
IBEW Local 292, Minneapolis and St. Cloud, Minn., and signatory contractor Killmer Electric partnered to complete the electrical portion of the arena remodel. This included retrofitting the lighting to identify and install more energy-efficient fixtures resulting in less energy usage and cash savings.
“Having the arena insulated and new lights has already had a huge impact on our program”, said Susie Bjorklund, Freedom Farm’s founder and executive director. “On the days it has been over 90°, it has never been above 70° in the arena. In the past, we would have needed to cancel classes because of excess heat. Consistency is very important for the Freedom Farm riders. The riders, volunteers, and horses of Freedom Farm thank the IBEW for their professionalism and passion.”
The IBEW has a long history of charitable work in the community with members giving back thousands of hours in community service each year in the greater St. Cloud and Twin Cities areas. The IBEW is proud to partner with Freedom Farm on the successful completion of this important project. The newly insulated arena will allow riders to be better served in discovering a sense of independence and freedom through interaction with the horses and Freedom Farm volunteers.
To learn more about the IBEW’s Power of Professionalism visit www.ibewpros.org.
