Category Archive Sponsors

We’re pleased to announce that Action Electric has come on board as a Platinum Sponsor!

Christmas markets wouldn’t be the same without the wooden vendor stalls. And the vendor stalls wouldn’t be the same without lights. That’s where Action Electric comes in. They will be installing the electrical in a number of our vendor stalls.

Action Electric has provided quality electrical services in the State of Iowa for both Commercial and Residential customers for over 25 years.

They are a family business, owned and operated by Randy, Lori, and Chad Mease with combined electrical experience of 60 years. As a family business, they realize your time is valuable and strive to honor all set appointment times. Their focus is on customer satisfaction, and they continually strive to deliver fair pricing on all services. They offer:

• Free Estimates
• Senior Discounts
• References
• 1 Year Parts & Labor Warranty
• Licensed – Bonded – Insured

As we continue to host fundraising events and get ready to produce the first Christkindlmarket Des Moines, we’re finding a lot of memorable moments along the way. We’re grateful to have Gail’s Photography and Designs to capture those for us as our 2016 Photography Sponsor.

Gail retired from Lifetouch Portrait Studios in June 2014. The next month, she opened her own photography business. Her subjects are usually children and families. She also designs word art that are offered in metal or in print. Her favorite part of her job is seeing families enjoying themselves and capturing moments for them to keep for generations.

Gail has not attended a Christmas market in the past, but she is looking forward to looking at the unique gifts that are offered. Her involvement with Christkindlmarket Des Moines was inspired by her Italian heritage and passion for learning about other cultures.

“I believe that learning about and understanding what other cultures have to offer is essential in our society,” Gail said.

She also encourages people interested in European heritage to get involved with Des Moines European Heritage Association and Christkindlmarket Des Moines.

“There’s great connections to be made and everyone brings something special to it that only they can give.”

Gail’s photos from our Experience France event at VOM FASS are available on the Des Moines European Heritage Association Facebook page. Take a look to see her great work. You’ll see Gail at all of our 2016 fundraising events as well!

Thank you, Gail, for your support!

Des Moines European Heritage Association connects Iowans with European traditions, language education and cultural experiences; and it provides resources and tools to other cultural heritage organizations.

Christkindlmarket Des Moines relies on donations to help bring our work to life. We appreciate all our sponsors and donations that come from individuals or are collected at fundraisers.

With that said, wouldn’t it be great if donations could double themselves and have twice the impact? Definitely! That’s why we’re so excited to welcome Stoy Hall and Modern Woodmen of America as out matching sponsor for Christkindlmarket Des Moines 2016.

Founded in 1833, Modern Woodmen of America is a fraternal financial service organization. They offer life insurance, annuity and investments. In addition to their services, Modern Woodmen of America offers benefits to members through their fraternal programs. Chapters across the nation are able to host events and activities that help them invest in their communities. These include educational and social events, as well as volunteer opportunities. Matching fund programs, like the one supporting Christkindlmarket Des Moines, help the organization get involved in the communities where it operates.

Stoy has been with the organization for five years, including an internship. According to him, finding ways to participate in the community is an important part of being in a fraternal organization. Though he has never attended a Christmas market, he looks forward to having one in Des Moines.

“The ability to do something in the community near Christmas with cultural influences is a no brainer. I have done a lot of research on them and I believe Des Moines will be a great fit for the event, ” he said.

The first event to be matched by Stoy and MWA will be a British High Tea in May. Keep an eye on our Facebook Page and the blog to learn more.

Thank you for your support!

Des Moines European Heritage Association connects Iowans with European traditions, language education and cultural experiences; and it provides resources and tools to other cultural heritage organizations.

If you’re from Iowa, Kum & Go is probably a familiar name. The convenience chain, headquarter in West Des Moines, has been a part of Iowa communities for more than 55 years. Their commitment to Iowa makes them a perfect fit as a sponsor for the state’s first ever Christmas market. We’re excited to welcome them as a Silver Sponsor for Christkindlmarket Des Moines 2016!

Kum & Go has a commitment to giving back to the communities where they work. Each year, the company donates 10 percent of their profits to causes they care about. They give charitable gifts, sponsor nonprofit events and partner with nonprofits to create impactful campaigns. Recently, they began fundraising efforts for Habitat for Humanity in their stores.

In addition to their focus on charitable giving, Kum & Go has a focus on arts and culture. This commitment makes them a great connection for Christkindlmarket Des Moines as we work to expand cultural opportunities and education here in Iowa.

Thank you for your support, Kum & Go!

As a grassroots non-profit, Des Moines European Heritage Association serves as a platform to carry on European traditions, support language education and to create cultural awareness. We are a resource for Iowans, immigrants, travel enthusiasts and international business professionals to connect with European cultural heritage and for cultural organizations who want to engage with their members in a cohesive and centralized manner.

Creating a Christmas market takes a lot of work. There are donations to gather, plans to make with the City and entertainment acts to schedule. Before that can be done, it’s important to have a way to distinguish our event from the 20 other Christmas markets across the country. That’s where our creative sponsor Darcy Hines Designs is essential. Her work has helped create Christkindlmarket Des Moines’ brand.

Darcy Hines is the owner and graphic designer at Darcy Hines Designs. Her work focuses on typography and a clean style. She enjoys working with clients who allow her to be creative with her design choices. She often works on creating brand standards and stationary.

She began working with Christkindlmarket Des Moines in July 2015. During that time she worked with Des Moines European Heritage Association board to create our logo and brand. Some of her work can be seen on our  Christkindlmarket Des Moines website and Facebook page.

According to Darcy, she was motivated  to get involved by the unique nature of our event.

“I love the idea of bringing such a festive and creative event to Des Moines in the months where people are normally bundled up in their houses. I think it’s a great opportunity to bring people out together as families, offer them a chance to experience a culture they normally wouldn’t be able to, and breathe some light into those cold winter months with hot cider and hand-made Christmas gifts.”

As for inspiration, she looks to Christmas markets from across the world. Though she hasn’t yet attended a Christmas market, this research has helped her understand why people love them.

Thank you for your work, Darcy!

Des Moines European Heritage Association is pleased to announce that the Christkindlmarket Des Moines 2016 Christmas Tree will be sponsored by Drake University. For those of you familiar with European-style Christmas markets, you’ll know that the Christmas tree is an integral focal point of these event and a long-standing tradition.

The mission of Drake University’s Department of World Languages and Cultures is to provide students with opportunities to develop functional competence in a language other than English and to foster the development of globally responsible students.

In doing so, they emphasize the development of speaking skills, cultural understanding, and responsible global citizenship. Their students also focus on all other aspects of developing language skills for communicative purposes. Many of their students study abroad, obtain employment with companies that have international interests, earn scholarships, and attend graduate school in areas that incorporate their language abilities.

They currently offer courses in American Sign Language, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish. Students who study abroad and complete their certificate program are able to obtain transcriptable evidence of their cultural and linguistic competence. Those interested in teaching a language can obtain an endorsement through Drake’s School of Education. Students who excel in their language studies are also able to join a national honor society that recognizes their excellence and actively promotes language learning in a variety of ways throughout the academic year. Many languages also have weekly conversation tables available even for those not enrolled in classes.

We are proud to partner with Drake University to produce Christkindlmarket Des Moines 2016!

As a grassroots non-profit, Des Moines European Heritage Association serves as a platform to carry on European traditions, support language education and to create cultural awareness. We are a resource for Iowans, immigrants, travel enthusiasts and international business professionals to connect with European cultural heritage and for cultural organizations who want to engage with their members in a cohesive and centralized manner.