Stepping Out for Students

MDNA Members Prove Their Passion for Education at the 2022 Miles for Manufacturing (M4M) 5k

MDNA is all about bringing education and opportunity to the used machinery industry, and September 14, 2022, eight MDNA members proved that commitment in a unique way, joining forces with 400 other runners at the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) Miles for Manufacturing (M4M) 5k. The event raises money for education, with 100% of proceeds headed to programs that prepare students for careers in manufacturing technology.
 
“From the beginning, the IMTS tradeshow has absorbed all of the hard costs of producing M4M,” said Bill Hermann, vice president of sales & membership, IMTS. “That has ensured that every single dollar of sponsor revenue and 100% of all runner registration fees have been distributed back out into the community.” In all, IMTS has raised and distributed over $155,000 in the past 8 years.
 
In addition to providing individual members who ran or walked in the race on September 14, MDNA also partnered with IMTS as an official race sponsor for the first time this year. Official sponsorship was a natural extension of the organization’s core values, as evidenced by the 40th year of the Austin D. Lucas Scholarship Fund.
 
“MDNA is passionate about education,” said Troy Clark, Clark Machinery Sales. “A positive forecast for our industry lies in equipping future manufacturers today.”
 
And while the purpose of the run/walk was raising money for a good cause, the event also spurred greater camaraderie among participating MDNA members as well. “Running as a group was a great way to connect with other people in our industry, showcase our team shirts, and have a little fun,” said Dave Valitt, Machinery Values.
 
You don’t even have to run to participate. The event also offers a walking option, one that John Green, FL sales, chose to complete. Other MDNA members, avid runners among them, also did the organization proud. Take Tom Lowkes, Fabricating & Production Machinery , Inc (FPM), for example, who ran the M4M 5k as a cooldown run in preparation for the Ragnar Reach the Beach (RTB) race the following weekend.
 
And Dave himself, who completed the race ahead of his goal pace. For Dave, bringing others on board and participating as a team—just four years after he and Troy first discovered and ran the race in 2018—was another cause for celebration.
 
Or consider Scott Linzer, Prestige Equipment, who ran another 10k race later that week. “I was surprised by how much fun it was,” he said. “I’m putting out a challenge now for MDNA members to sign up for the next race. We need to double our numbers for the next one in 2024!”
 
With two years to prepare, members have no excuses and plenty of time to train. See you  Chicago in 2024!
 
Sidebar:
2022 M4M Recipients

• Chicago Public Schools STEM
• ProjectSYNCERE, Chicago, IL
• SparkShop, Chicago, IL
• FIRST™ Illinois
• The Golden Ratio, FIRST™ Tech Challenge Team 12682, Cary and Crystal Lake, IL
• Lockport Porter Bots FIRST™ Team 4292, Lockport, IL
• Penn High School Robotics FIRST™ Team 135, Black Knights, Mishawaka, IN
• Wildstang FIRST™ Team 111, Arlington Heights, IL
• Highland Ranch STEM Academy FIRST™ Team 4418 Impulse, Highlands Ranch, CO