Our Community

"We create a festive Thanksgiving celebration and welcome those that don\'t have anyone to share the holiday with and those that are in need. I know that the event has changed the way that I think about Thanksgiving for myself and my family."-Mike Shane, Chairman of The Board, on "A Feast of Giving"

American Heart Association

American Heart Association

2006 marked the first year of Lastar's participation in the America Heart Association's Greater Dayton Heart Walk, with Lastar CEO Mike Shane serving as the chairperson for the Walk. In 2007, Mike Shane was again the local chairperson for the event. This 5k run/walk is a fundraiser for Dayton's local chapter and Lastar has many participants who help each year, and hundreds of financial contributors. Funds from the run/walk go toward the research and development of new treatments for heart disease that are less invasive and can improve quality of life for patients affected by heart disease.

Feast of Giving

Feast of Giving

A Feast of Giving is a community event held on Thanksgiving Day each year in Dayton. This event brings an entire community together to help those in need. In 2011, Lastar - along with more than 400 volunteers from around Dayton - served meals to over 4,700 people! As a presenting sponsor of the event, Lastar and its employees have been able to dedicate several hours on Thanksgiving Day each year giving back to our community. See our employees and the community in action at the 2012 Feast of Giving!

One To Many

One to Many

Lastar's One To Many outreach program was started by our Albia, IA location as a grassroots effort to support local charities and was later adopted by our other U.S. facilities. The idea is simple: Select local charities each quarter, invite Lastar associates to participate in a donation-based potluck luncheon, and then donate all of the proceeds to those charities. Lastar matches the proceeds contributed by the associates, with 25% of all proceeds being used for Lastar's "Adopt A Family" holiday program, which provides support to local families with financial need.

Southdale Elementary

Southdale Elementary

Lastar's Intergalactic Headquarter associates had been very active with the Moraine Meadows Elementary School. Our associates enjoyed taking part in tutoring programs, family movie night, and in helping to brighten the holiday celebrations of the students and their families. Sadly, Moraine Meadows was closed due to budget constraints and the students were moved to Southdale Elementary. However, we continue to enjoy the strong relationship we established five years ago with our new school.

Welcome Home Soldier

Welcome Home Soldier

Welcome Home Soldier is a non-profit organization dedicated to honoring those who serve or have served in our country's military. The organization decided to construct a memorial just outside of our Lastar facility in Albia, IA. The sacrifice our men and women in the military make is admired and appreciated by our associates, so in an effort to support this initiative, Lastar created a raffle where all proceeds went to the memorial. This effort generated a sizable donation that went toward construction costs for the memorial.