This past week I had a scout come to my home to visit with me. He is working on his Citizenship in the Community merit badge. During our visit he asked me what he could do to help our community.
The very next day I was in a meeting with the Chairman of the Board of a large Utah construction company and a Chief Executive Officer of a large local development company. During the conversation the CEO asked, what can I do to help our community.
Yesterday I attended a grand reopening of a hotel in Orem. The owner, while celebrating the event, put most of his time and efforts into using the event to raise money for the Make a Wish foundation. While he spoke of his hotel, he spent his time promoting the foundation, and introducing a recipient young woman named Emily who had a rare blood disease. Money was raised for the foundation. Her younger brother who gave bone marrow to her for a bone marrow transplant was also introduced.
These are wonderful meetings and events where citizens and friends of our great city are asking what they can do to help build a better community. Their desire is not for personal gain, financial reward, or name recognition. But rather their desire is to give back to their community for all to share in and to help those around them.
To me this is the attitude of true awareness and unselfishness. It is an attitude that builds our community and also helps our friends, families, and neighbors.
I mentioned to the scout that he could look around and see if there is a widow or a family that could use his help. I asked him to look over his street, sidewalks, and streetlights to see if any physical needs should be looked at by the city in his neighborhood.
The CEO mentioned that he wanted his firm to be involved in whatever way would seem best to help the community to improve and move forward. His thoughts were to support and help with his resources in ways that would be beneficial, not for him personally, but for others in the community.
I admire all of the people that I have met this past week. The best part of serving as Mayor of our great city, is the opportunity I have to meet and be around the wonderful friends of and residents of Orem. These examples of those in our community bring out a feeling of cheer and optimism for what the future can hold for us as citizens.
I believe that each of us can ask "What we can do for our community" in our own area of influence and residence in the city.
It is a great city. It is our community. It is our responsibility to help each other and our city to make a Better Orem.
Mayor Brunst