Vision 2020’s Community Pride and Spirit committee is partnering with Bremer Bank of Austin, honoring volunteers in 2015 as part of the Keep the Spirit Alive campaign. This month we salute local business owner Kevin Guy.

Kevin opened Everything Hobby on Fourth Avenue near the Brick Furniture in Downtown Austin in November 2014. The store is a sister to the Rochester Everything Hobby which Kevin opened in 2005 and offers hobby items and remote-controlled cars, airplanes, helicopters and trains.

Before his store even opened in Austin, Kevin became involved in our community. He participated in the City of Austin Downtown Master Plan process in 2014, bringing ideas he’d seen work in other communities and helping to represent the perspective of small business owners.

Kevin also joined the Destination Downtown committee of Vision 2020 and has been active in promoting the retail district at events like Summer Kick Off and Crazy Day. He recently provided bubble blowing supplies, a sound system and radio commercials for the Bubble Blast on Main Street on August 22.

Kevin joined forces with Vision 2020 to create a Fourth of July parade entry, providing equipment to demonstrate some of Austin’s science and technology education and securing a truck and trailer for the float. Kevin also recruited employees and customers from the store to join the float and drive remote control vehicles along the parade route.

In addition to community volunteering, Kevin has a unique philosophy about creating community at his store. He reaches out to Austin youth and welcomes the use of his store as a hang-out. He is also working on creating an outdoor remote control vehicle rack track. He is compiling a list of cell phone numbers of remote control enthusiasts so he can text out impromptu event announcements. The events are free of charge.

Recently, something happened at Kevin’s store that illustrates his remarkable spirit of service. A group of teens was hanging out at the store and looking for something to do. Kevin encouraged them to go to the parking lot behind the building and clean it up.

They spent the afternoon sweeping trash and pulling weeds. Meanwhile, Kevin drove out to the Sherwin Williams Paint Store near Runnings and purchased paint so that the kids could cover graffiti and spruce up the back of the building and alley.

Kevin doesn’t necessarily need a program or a schedule. He builds community with others and looks for service opportunities every day. We are lucky to have Kevin as part of the Austin community. He exhibits the kind of community spirit that we are known for.

Do you have a heart for service? Do you want to help our community thrive? Consider participating in Vision 2020’s Community Pride and Spirit community service challenge for the year 2015—making a commitment of 24 hours of volunteer service. You can volunteer anywhere you like, doing any activity that you like. There is no paperwork or registration process—simply a personal commitment to serve the community this year.

To find—or post—volunteer opportunities, make the connection on the Vision 2020 Community Pride and Spirit website www.vision2020austin.com/spirit or find us on Facebook at “Spread the Spirit in Austin, MN.”