Gary and Janine Papik have always loved the friendly feel of Luverne, its tree-shaded streets and bustling downtown.
Gary and Janine Papik have always loved the friendly feel of Luverne, its tree-shaded streets and bustling downtown.But in 2009, they could see their hometown needed help. Properties were in disrepair, businesses were closing and retail spending was down.
Gary and Janine, who own Papik Motors, joined a passionate grassroots group of other business owners, elected officials and citizens committed to improving Luverne. They invited Southwest Initiative Foundation (SWIF) Vice President Scott Marquardt to help define the next steps.
“Luverne was kind of looking for some direction, like a lot of small towns,” Gary said. “I think the role of SWIF in southwest Minnesota is helping get things done. Once you have an idea, they’ll talk to you about it and say, ‘Here’s a way that maybe this could work.’”
That fits perfectly with Papiks’ philosophy for change: turn ideas into action, using philanthropy as one of their tools. The original grassroots group evolved into the nonprofit Luverne Initiatives for Tomorrow (LIFT), involving more than 170 community members in identifying what could be done to improve the city. LIFT’s first major project was the new GrandStay Hotel, one of 17 Luverne businesses that SWIF has supported with our business finance programs.
“I think what was so cool about the hotel was that was the first thing that came together,” Janine said. “It is just a fixture in the community now.”
Success spread — Take 16 Craft Brewery, the Luverne Loop bike trail and a grand restoration of the Arcade Building’s arches, now a stunning storefront for the new Sterling’s Café and Grille. That last one is special to the Papiks.
“Our grandkids call Sterling’s grandma’s kitchen. We’re there that often,” Gary said. “That’s what you have to do when you have a new business in town, you have to support it.”
It takes more than one or two people, no matter how passionate, for this kind of change. The chamber, all levels of government, residents and nonprofit organizations including SWIF play a part in making Luverne a place people love.
“You really find out in a small community how many quality people you have,” Gary said. Besides being outsized community boosters, Papiks are known for cars. Gary and Janine’s story started in 1967, when Gary needed an excuse to take his dad’s new Oldsmobile Tornado for a spin. Janine was the excuse. Now, 46 years of marriage and quite a few cars later, they have a family of 18 — children Heidi, Gretchen and Jordan and their spouses, and 10 grandkids. In the Papik home, the table is set for the whole crew, a placemat embroidered with each person’s name. Family is the center of their world; their social calendar is filled with soccer games and recitals. Janine’s roots run deep in the area, but Gary moved there as a boy. He came to town amid the frenzy of Luverne High School’s victory over Rochester in the 1964 Minnesota State Basketball Tournament, something he talks about to this day. As for the cars, Gary started out washing them. He worked his way up, and purchased Schoon Motor Company in 1990, renaming it Papik Motors. In 2013, Gary was Minnesota’s TIME Magazine Quality Dealer of the Year, honored among the nation’s most successful auto dealers who demonstrate a long-standing commitment to effective community service. “When you have a big investment in the community, you want it to be as strong as it can be,” Gary said. The dealership is a family business in the truest sense. Gary, Janine and all their children have worked there. Today, Jordan, Heidi and son-inlaw Micky hold management positions. If the grandkids are interested, they’re welcome too. Gary knows cars; Janine knows music. In what used to be their home’s formal dining room, she’s filled the china cabinet with orderly rows of sheet music, and a piano sits at the center of the space. At Grace Lutheran Church across the street and Luverne High School just down the road, Janine has played music and directed choirs for years. Janine, Gretchen and Heidi all majored in music in college. Four years ago, Janine and her friend LaDonna Iveland were talking to Luverne’s chamber director, Jane Wildung Lanphere, about opportunities for music lessons in Luverne. As with other projects, they found people in the community willing to make it happen. Luverne Street Music opened its doors in January 2013 with three teachers and a dozen students. “We connect teachers and students to give them lessons in whatever they want,” Janine said, including a group of gentlemen in their 70s who simply wanted to play a few notes on violins. The nonprofit now serves over 100 students — children and adults from Luverne and the surrounding area. There are group lessons, ensembles, summer music camp and children’s choir. “It’s amazing,” Janine said. Growing Home Circle members and donors, Gary and Janine give to SWIF because they appreciate action. As part of the Grow Our Own Summit outreach committee, they were some of the first to learn about the 1 in 6 kids living in poverty in southwest Minnesota. “That’s been a tough one and it’s tough on me,” Gary said. “I can’t believe there are kids that are hungry.” Leveraging the support around LIFT and the community’s willingness to be involved, change is happening quickly. Luverne is working to end pay-to-watch and pay-to-play, so all school kids and families can benefit from activities. Discussions about ways to provide families with affordable child care are underway. And exposing students to a variety of careers is a focus for next school year: A grant from SWIF helped launch Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities (CEO), a program introducing students to area businesses and entrepreneurship with hands-on experience. Starting fall 2018, Southwest Minnesota CEO will be an option for up to 22 students from Luverne, Edgerton, Adrian, Hills, Beaver Creek, Pipestone and Ellsworth. “I just don’t feel every kid has to go to four years of college to be successful,” said Gary, a steering committee member for the local CEO program. “I’m very passionate about Grow Our Own. I want to see it getting done.”
MUSIC AND CARS
Grow Our Own
