Cargill Assists Local Emergency Response Efforts

April 20, 2004

RAYMORE, SK – Cargill AgHorizons is pleased to announce its partnership with the community of Raymore and surrounding area to provide $10,000 towards the purchase of a new fire truck. AgHorizons’ contribution builds on a corporate philosophy to actively participate and enrich those communities where the company has a business presence.

Recently, Raymore & District Fire Protection Co-op approached Cargill about its immediate need for a new fire truck. The previous truck, a 1970 Dodge, required significant repair and was considered unable to satisfy the demands of the Fire Department in protecting the public in Raymore and the surrounding areas.

When the Raymore & District Fire Protection Co-op started their search for a new fire truck, they quickly realized that a used fire truck, appropriate for their fire protection program, would be “like finding a needle in a haystack,” stated Ryan Ward, Cargill Farm Marketing Representative and member of the Raymore Volunteer Firefighter Committee.

After a lengthy search, the fire protection co-op finally located a truck that would serve the communities’ needs but it was located in Ontario and considerably out of their budget. Reflecting on the difficulty in finding a truck, the Raymore & District Fire Protection Co-op decided to put in a bid.

“Low and behold, our offer was accepted and we had to move quickly to come up with the money to pay for the truck. Being a few thousand more than our budget, we approached Cargill to see if they could help,” said Calvin Sich, Chairman of the Raymore & District Fire Protection Co-op. “Imagine our excitement and relief when Cargill very quickly made the decision to support our project by graciously providing a $10,000 donation. Cargill’s contribution sealed the deal.”

“AgHorizons remains committed to the community of Raymore, and producers have shown their support for our business. We are pleased to participate in a project that will help make the Raymore community and surrounding area a safer place to live and work”, stated Garry Sterna, Farm Service Group manager for Cargill AgHorizons.

The contribution is part of Cargill AgHorizon’s commitment to be actively in community efforts. In addition to our financial support, many of our employees are engaged in projects and initiatives that benefit the communities in which they live and work.

Media are welcome to join Cargill AgHorizons and the Raymore Firefighter Committee on April 21st in Raymore at the Cargill Raymore location between 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM where the new fire truck will be on display in conjunction with the Cargill AgHorizons Seed Pickup Day for our customers. Lunch will be made available.

Cargill AgHorizons operates grain handling and crop inputs facilities across the Prairies and works in partnership with producers to develop grain-marketing solutions. Cargill AgHorizons is a division of Cargill Limited. Headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Cargill Limited employs 5,600 people across the country and has business interests in meat, egg and oilseed processing, animal feed, salt, fertilizer manufacturing, chocolate, natural gas, as well as grain handling and merchandising.

Robert Meijer
Director, Public Affairs
Cargill Limited
Telephone: (204) 947-6370
robert_meijer@cargill.com