Cindy Agnes has all the time had a keenness for baking.
In 2008 when her husband Gerry, the then newly appointed President and Leader Government Officer for Elevations Credit score Union, held a BBQ for the credit score union’s personnel, she idea some home made cookies could be a pleasing addition to the party.
When the vacations came visiting, Cindy added the Elevations Board of Administrators to the joys, making her delectables to lend a hand want the board a Merry Christmas and Glad New 12 months.
Since 2013, Cindy has baked a minimum of a dozen cookies consistent with worker every vacation season, and she or he and Gerry ship them to all Elevations places alongside the Entrance Vary. In 2013, Elevations had 322 staff. Speedy ahead to 2022, Cindy now bakes over 7,000 cookies for the 600-plus Elevations personnel. To perform this takes 398 eggs, 342 cups of flour, 297 sticks of butter and 269 cups of sugar, at the side of an abundance of chocolate chips, nuts, and M&M’s. She begins arrangements in early November in order that, come December, she’s able to ship her delicious cookies to every of the credit score union’s places.
The way it began
Within the early days, a pair trays of 3 sorts of cookies had been sufficient to place smiles on everybody’s faces.
Alongside the way in which, Cindy figured offering for extra than simply the personnel at BBQ’s and for a board assembly used to be wanted. She expanded her operations to incorporate all of the corporate. In 2017 she recruited one in all her daughters, Kristin Agnes, to lend a hand her bake, beautify and bundle the cookies.
“I really like the personnel!” Cindy stated. “All of them paintings so laborious, and so they’re similar to circle of relatives. Because the Elevations circle of relatives grew, we simply began making extra cookies. I make numerous cookies as it’s vital to me to have the personnel have sufficient to convey some house to their households and neighbors.”
Because the Elevations group grew every 12 months, so did Cindy’s baking efforts. Despite the fact that she and Kristin nonetheless make the entire cookies in her house kitchen, she’s obtained 3 stand mixers and 3 chest freezers for the entire ready dough ready patiently for baking day.
Alternatively, when baking is completed, the mission nonetheless must be finished. Cindy, Kristin, and Gerry then bundle and cargo up the entire cookies for supply — a procedure that in most cases lasts a few days.
Hard work of affection
The gargantuan act of attaining an endeavor of this caliber displays how giant Cindy’s center is. Oh, and she or he’s all the time prepared to percentage her scrumptious recipes!
She additionally will get comments from the personnel every 12 months, serving to her support for the following season. Those may come with bins for personnel to take house cookies, extra fan-favorite flavors, or even an advanced method to ship cookies the usage of massive catering bins as a substitute of trays.
In relation to recipes, Cindy is all the time open to attempting one thing new. In 2021, for example, she debuted the “Grinch” cookie — a inexperienced cookie with a pink center. (Lets neither ascertain nor deny the guts being two sizes too small.)
The once a year cookie-making tournament organically grew every 12 months out of Cindy’s love for baking. She all the time made cookies for her children once they had been rising up, and when Cindy and Gerry had been more youthful, she made and offered her cinnamon rolls.
She handed on her love of baking to her two daughters and son, Eric. Her daughter Nicole even went to culinary college and become a pastry chef, whilst her daughter Kristin is helping plan the cookie provides buying groceries and enjoys serving to bake and beautify every 12 months.
Concerned procedure
In relation to logistics, it turns into a circle of relatives affair. Cindy and all 3 youngsters put in combination an inventory of provides and plan the cookie record, and Gerry supplies a rely of Elevations group participants at every location. When the large day arrives, Cindy, Kristin, and Gerry’s baking, boxing and organizing runs overdue into the night and thru the following morning, when deliveries get started.
Gerry and Cindy get started up north in Fortress Collins and paintings their means south on I-25, hitting every department, loan workplace and back-office location for a complete of 20 stops.
No longer even a world pandemic may prevent Cindy. In 2020, when such a lot on the planet got here to a screeching halt, Cindy, Kristin, and Gerry determined to proceed the custom with some adjustments. With beef up from the group, they boxed and delivered cookies to each worker.
When all used to be stated and completed, the couple stated essentially the most difficult section used to be now not with the ability to convey trays to the entire branches and need everybody a Merry Christmas and Glad New 12 months.
At Elevations, work-life steadiness and worker pride are giant priorities. An environment like that begins on the most sensible, and Cindy and Gerry’s determination and thoughtfulness are no doubt a large a part of that tradition.