PHOTO GALLERY

Below are photos of Medtronic retirees and significant others enjoying and volunteering at many VSP activities.  Enjoy.

Food Group -  VSP volunteers packed 650 of garbanzo beans.  Well done!  (2/27/20)

Second Harvest Heartland -  VSP volunteers helped sort and package 18,000 pounds of food for low income seniors.  Great work!!  (1/29/20)

Medtronic VSP Group Minnesota Holiday Social  (12/4/19)

Bundles of Love - VSP volunteers cut, sorted and sewed hats, bibs, sleepers, etc.  (11/14/19)

Lunch & Learn event - Rx Function's Walkasin balance restoration system by Lars Oddsson (10/29/19)

Bridging - VSP volunteers sorted 378 table linen bundles and 113 rag bundles  (10/17/19)

Second Annual Octoberfest for retirees and wannabees.  A small portion of 350 attendees at the Mermaid.  (9/26/19)

Matter - VSP volunteers created 1,600 healthy snack packs for kids.  (9/12/19)

Lunch & Learn event - Estate Planning Strategies - by FFP Wealth Management (9/9/19)

The Food Group - VSP volunteers packed 1225 pounds of pinto beans.   (8/29/19)

Second Harvest Heartland -  Project 6 event volunteers helped sort and package 20,397 pounds of potatoes for low income seniors.  Great work!!  (6/13/19)

Lunch & Learn event - Income tax strategies - by FFP Wealth Management (5/20/19)

Annual VSP Meeting and Luncheon photo - 100 Medtronic retirees and significant others celebrating Earl Bakken  (5/15/19)

The Food Group - VSP volunteers packed 4320 pounds of meat, suitable for thousands of meals.  (3/27/19)

Lunch & Learn - Like Saving Catheter Therapies - Frank Freedman and George Lucas  (3/26/19) 

Second Harvest Heartland -  VSP volunteers packed 9,000 pounds of food (300 boxes) for low income seniors.  Great work!!  (2/7/19)

Earl Bakken - Celebration of Life Event - 12/18/18

Creating a Nationwide Health Education Curriculum in India - creator, retiree Rahul Mehra (pictured standing), visiting with 6th and 7th grade students in Chandigarh - mid 2018

2018 VSP Christmas Social - Retirees and guests in vibrant conversation enjoying tasty hors d'oeuvres at the Mermaid - 12/5/18

Feed My Starving Children - VSP volunteers helped pack 39,744 meals for children in Haiti (one meal per day for one year for 109 children)

Bundles of Love - volunteer sewing team.  (10-10-18)

Medtronic marathon - race packet prep and handout volunteers.  (10-6-18)

Fall Outing - Lake Pepin paddle-boat ride plus lunch and shopping.  (10/3/18)

Bridging - VSP group prepped 286  blankets of various sizes.  (8/20/18)

Lunch & Learn - "A Corporate Refugee BARES ALL" by Frank Freedman  (8/28/18) 

The Food Group - VSP volunteers packed nearly 1/2 ton of black beans into about 1000 one pound packages.  (8/20/18)

Second Harvest Heartland - At a Project 6 event, along with a group of current Medtronic employees, VSP volunteers sorted and packed 6,604 of the 15,214 pounds of food, equivalent to 12,658 meals. Great work!!  The photo includes retired and current employees.   (6/27/18)

Feed My Starving Children - VSP group helped pack 130 boxes equally 28,080 meals.  (5/24/18)

Project 6 Puzzle Kits -  VSPers assembled 425 puzzle kits for either the HCMC or the Minnesota Brian Alliance. (5/10/18)

Bridging - VSP volunteers assembled two dressers, sorted over 300  sheets, and bundled 90 sheet sets.  (4/26/18)

The Food Group - VSP volunteers packed nearly 2 ton of garbanzo beans and canned peas, enough for 3000 meals. (3/14/18)

Bundles of Love - VSPers created 167 gown kits, sewed 1 quilt top, and surged 75 washcloths and blurp cloths.  (2/22/18)

Hope Lodge - VSPers served pie to 34 guests and caregivers on "National Pie Day".  (1/23/18)

Second Harvest Heartland - VSPers packed 8 tons of food suitable for 13,154 meals for local needy families. (1/11/18)

Feed My Starving Children - VSP Volunteers helped pack enough food to feed 140 kids for a year.  (12/14/17)

Habitat for Humanity - VSPers adding insulation and plastic sheathing while rehabbing a house.  (12/13/17)

VSP Winter Social - Fun holiday party with great food was enjoyed by about 90 joyful people at the Mermaid.  (12/6/17)

The Link -  A fine team of VSPers made 48 breakfast burritos and 48 breakfast sandwiches for their clients.  (11/29/17)

Dorothy Day Center - VSPers in a warehouse, separating edible from unusable donated food for composting.  Composting unusable food provides a tax break that helps reduce operational costs. (11/13/17)

Habitat for Humanity - VSPers rehabbing a house.  (11/8/17)

Bundles of Love - This VSP volunteer group traced and cut out items to create 73 gown kits, 12 sleeper kits, and sewed 7 quilt tops.  (10/26/17)

BRIDGING - This VSP volunteer group sorted 4344 silverware pieces into 152 silverware sets.  (9/14/17)

The Food Group - VSP volunteers labeled and packed 1,624 pounds of peas.  (8/17/17)

Special Olympics - Three VSP volunteers with athletes and significant others.  (7/26/17)

MATTER - The VSP group sorted 10 pallets of donated medical supplies into 85 boxes which will help treat about 10,000 people.  (7/8/17)

Second Harvest Heartland - VSPers helped pack 1822 pounds of food as part of Medtronic Foundation's Project 6 initiative (6/15/17)

Hope Lodge - VSPers lead BINGO games - everybody won  (6/5/17)

Feed My Starving Children - VSP Volunteers packed 25 boxes of meals that will serve 15 children for a year in Guatemala  (5/18/17)

The Link - VSP & FOCUS teammates assembled 25 household cleaning kits - components donated by employees and VSPers  (5/13/17)
Line 1 photos: preparation of cleaning kits
Line 2 photo: delivery of kits to The Link.  The team also prepared 48 breakfast burritos and 48 breakfast sandwiches.

Annual Meeting - Edinburgh Club attendees (94) having a delicious lunch  (5/10/17)

Project Warm Hearts - Beautiful handmade items (432) for 8 Twin City organizations were crafted by 25 Medtronic retirees working nearly 2,000 hours - 5/3/17

Bridging - VSP Volunteers at work - 4/20/17

Lunch & Learn - Reveal Insertable Cardiac - 4/18/17

The Food Group - The group of VSPers packed 8,400 pounds of mega meats. (3/23/17)

Habitat for Humanity - This crew of VSPers prepped and painted the walls on the entire first floor plus the upstairs bathroom at a home in North Minneapolis.  (2/9/17)

Hope Lodge - VSP members serving pie, in honor of National Pie Day, to the guests of the American Cancer Society's Hope Lodge (where cancer patients stay at no cost while going through their cancer treatment).   (1/22/17)

Project Warm Hearts -This group of 20 Medtronic Retirees, knit, crochet and sew items (mittens, hats, scarves, slippers, baby blankets, dishcloths) for sheltered or homeless persons served by 8 charities in the Twin City area.  Recently they spent 650 hours making 240 items – some shown in the photos.   (1/23/17)

 Second Harvest Heartland - VSP Mission In Motion Volunteers
Packed 15,250 pounds of food (12,708 senior citizen meals)    (1/17/17)

Feed My Starving Children - VSP Volunteers packaged 21 boxes of food, which makes 4526 meals, feeding 12 children in Mosul, Iraq one meal a day for a year.

Annual VSP Christmas Social - Hearty snacks and fun conversations  (12/9/16)

Second Harvest Heartland - VSPers helped to pack 5,156 pounds of rice which will provide 4,296 meals (11/17/16)

Social Event - VSP group at US Bank Stadium tour (11/9/16)

Lunch & Learn - Covidien endovascular products and synergies with Medtronic legacy products and markets.  (11/7/16)

Bridging - VSPers sharpened and bundled 110 knife sets, and sorted and bundled 100 "silverware" sets (10/20/16).

Matter - Helped pack 166 boxes of medical supplies for Armenia and Kenya. About 115 people are served per box resulting in about 19,000 people impacted.

Ice Cream Social - audience for Gary King volunteer projects presentation (8/16/16)

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The Food Group - VSPers repacked pasta for 416 meals.  (8/10/16)

Dorothy Day Center - VSPers sorted canned goods (good from expired), sorted potatoes (good from rotten), repackaged bulk cookies, and sliced 300 lbs of potatoes  (6/8/16)

Project 6  - VSPers Assembled 750 Greeting Card Kits  (6/1/16)

Bridging - Medtronic VSP Mission In Motion volunteers sorted and bundled many sets of towels and bundled many sets of silverware, each with a dishtowel  (6/19/16)

Annual Meeting & Spring Luncheon -  Edinburgh - nearly 100 attendees (5/11/16)

Lunch & Learn -    Medtronic - Covidien Synergies - Part 1  (4/27/16)

Feed My Starving Children - Medtronic VSP Mission In Motion volunteers, with other groups, packed 117 boxes with food packets for 25,272 meals, enough to feed 70 children 1 meal/day for a year. (4/26/16)

Project Warm Hearts - Nine members created 375 items pictured (estimated 819 hours labor).  The items were donated to Bridging, Life Haven, People Serving People, and Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery (April 2016)

Lunch & Learn - World's smallest pacemaker, the amazing Micra  (3/30/16)

The Food Group - Medtronic VSP Mission In Motion volunteers packed  3423 pounds of mini meat packs serving nearly 2300 needy Minnesotans (3/22/16)

Project Warm Hearts - Nine members created 442 beautiful, functional knitted articles pictured (estimated over 870 hours labor) as gifts to: Bridging, Life Haven, People Serving People, and Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery (January 2016)

Feed My Starving Children - Medtronic VSP Mission In Motion volunteers packed 19 boxes with food packets for 4,100 meals, enough to feed 11 children 1 meal/day far a year. (12/10/15)

VSP Group Holiday Social  - Nearly 100 retirees and significant others enjoyed great hor d'oeuvres and lively fellowship.  Freewill donations to Alexander House included many gifts plus $450 cash, checks and gift cards.  Attendees came early and stayed late.  (12/10/15)

Dorothy Day Center - Medtronic VSP Mission In Motion volunteers prepared 450+ sandwiches and sorted warehoused food.  (11/18/15)

Lunch & Learn - Process for Obtaining Medtronic Philanthropy Grants.  (10/26/15)

Matter - Medtronic VSP Mission In Motion volunteers sorted and packed 50 boxes of medical products ($87,000 value) to be sent to various countries around the globe.  (10/14/15)

Bridging - Medtronic VSP Mission In Motion volunteers sorted 14 bins of kitchen supplies and tested electrical appliances.  (9/10/15)

Annual VSP Ice Cream Social - Retired Medtronic officer Tom Holloran sharing early Medtronic history.  (8/18/15)

The Food Group - Medtronic VSP Mission In Motion volunteers packed  385 boxes of food for 1540 people.  (8/11/15)

Second Harvest Heartland - Medtronic VSP Mission In Motion volunteers helped packed 15,284 pounds of food, enough for 12,736 meals.  (6/18/15)

Supporting Medtronic’s Project 6 initiative, 10 VSPers assembled 800 greeting card kits for employees to make cards, given to patients at HCMC. (6/8/15)

Feed My Starving Children - Medtronic VSP Mission In Motion volunteers packed, along with other volunteers,142 boxes with food packets for 30,672 meals for children, enough to feed 85 children 1 meal/day for a year.  (5/21/15)

Annual Meeting & Spring Luncheon -  Edinburgh USA - nearly 100 attendees (5/12/15)

Bridging - VSP volunteers sorted kitchen ware  (4/23/15)

The Food Group - VSP volunteers packed 200 lb lentils and 880 lb bread, feeding 1868 people (3/18/15)

Lunch & Learn  - BAKKEN MUSEUM and new BAKKEN BOOK    (14 attendees)  (2/11/15)

VSP Group Christmas Social (12/10/14) - In addition to good food and fellowship, free will gifts of $300 and 2 bags of toys were received for the Christmas Dinners Anonymous program.

Feed My Starving Children - Medtronic VSP Mission In Motion volunteers packed, along with other volunteers,198 boxes with food packets for 42,768 meals for children, enough to feed 117 children 1 meal/day for a year.  (11/10/14)

Second Harvest Heartland - Medtronic VSP Mission In Motion volunteers packed 9,407  pounds of food for senior citizen meals.  (9/18/14)

Lunch & Learn  - HEATH INSURANCE AND ESTATE PLANNING    (25 attendees)  (8/28/14)

Feed My Starving Children - Medtronic VSPers packed, along with other volunteers, food packets for 20,000+ meals for children   (8/12/14)

Lunch & Learn - Medtronic-Covidien Acquisition  (90 attendees)   (7/29/14)

Lunch & Learn  - ESTATE PLANNING       (45 attendees)  (5/21/14)

Annual Meeting & Spring Luncheon -  Edinburgh USA - 97 attendees (5/14/13)

Bridging - 15 VSP volunteers sorted linens and moved furniture  (5/8/14)

Second Harvest Heartland - VSP Mission In Motion, 22 volunteers (4/10/14)
Packed 16,500 pounds of food (13,750 senior citizen meals)

Lunch & Learn  - CORONARY STENTS  DEVICES AND PROCEDURES
(12 attendees)  (4/1/14)

Emergency Food Shelf Network - 18 Volunteers packed 279 food boxes for East Africans and nearly 400 four pound rice bags, all to serve needy Minnesotans  (3/11/14)

Retiree Earl Bakken with 90th Birthday Greeting Card.  Designed by Pete Dolan and signed by many VSP Members.  Card was presented by Jerry Hartlaub.

Photos at Earl's 90th Birthday Party on January 11, 2014 on the Big Island of Hawaii. About 350 attendees including 5 Medtronic retirees.

Holiday Social - The Mermaid - 70 attendees (12/11/13)

Mano A Mano - Volunteers sorted surplus medical supplies to be shipped to rural
Bolivia  (11/5/13)

Lunch & Learn  - CARDIOPULMONARY  SURGICAL PROCEDURES AND DEVICES   (20 attendees)  (10/29/13)

Second Harvest Heartland - VSP Mission In Motion, "28 member team" (9/19/13)
Packed 7944 pounds of eggs and cereal (6206 meals).

Lunch & Learn  - TECHNOLOGY WORKSHOP  (19 attendees)  (9/5/13)

Mano-A Mano - 25 Volunteers sorted surplus medical supplies to be shipped to rural Bolivia  (6/18/13)

Annual Meeting & Spring Luncheon -  Edinburgh USA - 92 attendees (5/16/13)

Emergency Food Shelf Network - 20 Volunteers packed seasonings and frozen meat to serve over 4700 needy Minnesotans  (5/13/13)

Bridging - 14 Volunteers sorted and kitted piles of silverware  (4/10/13)

Lunch & Learn - Angioplasty  (22 attendees)  (3/28/13)

Second Harvest Heartland - VSP Mission In Motion "Team" (3/21/13)
Packed 13 tons of food (21,875 meals) for needy seniors.

Feed My Starving Children - Medtronic VSPers packed, along with other volunteers, rice-manna packets for 21,384 meals for children in Haiti. (2/21/13)

VSP Holiday Social - Mermaid Restaurant (12/5/12)

Lunch & Learn  - Bradycardia Pacing  (16 attendees)  (11/29/12)

Emergency Food Shelf  - VSP "Mission In Motion" team of 17 packed 281 Fare-For-All holiday food boxes, plus labeled 700 cans of corn - served to 1824 people in the community.  (11/12/12, a cold snowy day)  Three photos below.

Second Harvest Heartland - VSP "Mission In Motion" team of 23 packed food (14 pallets = 700 boxes = 24,500 pounds = 20,416 meals) for needy seniors and families. (10/18/12)

Lunch & Learn  - Hot Issues of Personal Finance  (16 attendees)  (9/24/12)

Feed My Starving Children  - Medtronic VSPers packed, along with a smaller group of volunteers, rice-manna packets for about 20,000 meals. (9/12/12)

Summer Ice Cream Social - Earl Bakken speaking - 80 attendees (8/21/12)

Emergency Foodshelf Network  26 volunteers  (5/30/12)
Packed 435 meat boxes + 300 pinto bean bags + veggies = 2940 meals

Annual Meeting & Spring Luncheon -  Jax Cafe - 92 attendees (5/9/12)

Bridging - 26 Volunteers  (4/21/12)

Lunch & Learn - Interstim Therapy for Urinary Control - 32 attendees (4/23/12)

Second Harvest Heartland - VSP Mission In Motion "Team" (3/16/12)
Packed 15 tons of food (25,333 meals) for needy seniors and families

Lunch & Learn - Cardiac Resynch Pacing Therapy - 26 attendees  (2/7/12)

VSP Holiday Social - Mermaid Restaurant (12/13/11)

Lunch & Learn  - The Brain Radio - Brain electrical signals control therapies. (11/17//11)

Feed My Starving children  -  Along with a church group of middle school students from the Wayzata, we packed 37,152 potato-manna packets (445,000 meals for babies). (11/20/11)

Second Harvest Heartland - "Mission In Motion" team of 23 packed 15 tons of food for needy families.   (10/26/11)

Lunch & Learn - GM2 gangliosidosis and the New Hope Foundation  (18 Attendees).  Presented by Medtronic retiree, Jack Keimel.  (9/23/11)

                                    Bridging -  26 Volunteers  (9/14/11)
                                                                 (Fran Heitzman, Founder, 2nd from right)

                    Furniture Assemblers                  Bedding Assemblers

VSP Ice Cream Social - With guests Earl Bakken and Omar Ishrak  (8/23/11)

Feed My Starving children - VSP volunteers packed 12,528 meals for hungry children - enough to feed 34 children a meal a day for a year. (4/28/11

Lunch & Learn - Catheter Ablation to Treat Cardiac Arrhythmias - 24 attendees (4/13/11)

Second Harvest -  Some of 26 Medtronic VSP volunteers  who packed 21,000 pounds of food into 750 boxes in 3 solid hours - all for needy families.  (5/15/11)

Bridging - Some of 15 volunteers (aka "strippers", "rollers" and "assemblers")  (2/10/11)

Lunch & Learn -  Posture Dependent Spinal Cord Stimulation for Pain  - 15 attendees (1/27/11)

Project Homeless Connect Minneapolis - Helped some of over 1000 homeless persons receiving assistance (12/13/10)

Medtronic Childrens Christmas Party -  Earl Bakken and retirees with Santa (12/4/10)  

Lunch & Learn - Spine Stenosis, Pain and X-Stop Spacer - 20 attendees (10/13/10)

Feed My Starving Children - We packed 12,528 meals for hungry children in Haiti - enough to feed 34 children a meal a day for a year. (10/7/10)

Summer Ice Cream Social -  Retirees listening to Earl Bakken  (8/24/10)

VSP volunteers at the Second Harvest (9/15/10) and the Shriner Circus (4/9/10).