Retired propane executive leads charity sending holiday gifts to troops

Team members, from left: Joe Cummiskey, Andy Ronald, Jason Reeves and Carter House. (Photo by Debbie Hagen)

This holiday season, more than 1,000 military personnel deployed overseas will receive special holiday gift packages thanks to a charity set up by retired propane industry executive Andy Ronald.

For 15 years, Ronald has been organizing the Holiday Gifts for the Troops program through the Wallace R. Bostwick Memorial Fund – a charity he started in memory of his close friend and Vietnam War veteran.

Ronald, the former vice president of supply and logistics development at Crestwood Equity Partners (formerly Inergy and recently acquired by Energy Transfer), turned to the propane industry for donations and support to kickstart the charity in 2009. Many in the propane industry are still involved today.

Crestwood team members David Janco, Max Johnson, Carter House and Amy Grego continue to spearhead the initiatives in Kansas City, where the fund began. Joe Cummiskey in Orvida, Florida, and Eddie Hunnell in Boulder, Colorado, have set up regional groups to support the charity.

The individual boxes packed with supplies are decorated by students from schools in Missouri, Florida and Colorado. Over the years, many students as well as children of Crestwood employees have helped pack the gift boxes for troops.

The gift boxes include a variety of items like thick boot socks, Starbucks Via Instant Coffee, Albanese Gummy Bears, mixed nuts, multivitamins, hydration packs, Clif Bars, Corn Nuts and toothbrushes.

Since its inception, the charity has sent more than 11,500 gift boxes to troops deployed overseas during the holidays.

Companies that are supporting the program include Crestwood, Shell Oil Co., Herring Gas Co., Tri-Gas & Oil Co., Total Energy and Superior Energy Systems.

Visit wallacerbostwickmemorialfund.com or reach out to Ronald directly at info@wallacerbostwickmemorialfund.com to support the fund.