They live more than 1,000 miles apart and had never met before 2024, but Cody Bigalke and Cornelius Green have a lot in common.
Both hail from small towns 鈥� Bigalke from New London, Wisconsin, and Green from Dublin, Georgia. Both have, over the years, been regular patrons of their towns鈥� local stores, and both ended up working for the company. Both also serve in public safety, Bigalke with the Fremont-Wolf River Fire Department and police department in nearby Black Creek, and Green with the Laurens County Sheriff鈥檚 Office.
Earlier this year they came to share another distinction: They are two of the first 鈥淗ometown Heroes鈥� to be saluted under a that鈥檚 intended to honor and reward military service members, veterans and first responders, including Tractor Supply team members.
鈥淲e have a long history of honoring veterans and military,鈥� said Marti Skold-Jordan, executive director of the , which spearheads the company鈥檚 philanthropic efforts. 鈥淭he Hometown Heroes program brings our efforts under one banner, and we鈥檙e particularly excited to extend the program to the first responders who serve our communities and keep us safe. We couldn鈥檛 do what we do without our Hometown Heroes.鈥�
The Hometown Heroes program will bring some to first responders who sign up, verify and take advantage, including top-tier membership in the company鈥檚 loyalty program. Bigalke, Green and other Tractor Supply team members honored as part of 鈥淗ometown Heroes Days鈥� 鈥� which will run from October 26 (two days before National First Responders Day) through November 11 (Veterans Day), 2024 鈥� will be profiled on social media and in short videos and company publications. The company will also make $5,000 donations to Hometown Heroes charities on behalf of each Hometown Hero spotlight awardee.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really a whole season of celebration,鈥� said Allison Staub, part of the company鈥檚 strategic marketing team. 鈥淲e want to put a spotlight on our first responders, military service members and veterans. This is one way we can say thank you.鈥�
鈥楤IG PARTS OF ALL OUR COMMUNITIES鈥�
Giving back has always been a priority for . Through its foundation, in 2023 the company donated nearly $16 million to charitable causes through direct giving, sponsorships, fundraisers and more.
The foundation鈥檚 charitable priorities center on four pillars: agricultural education, land and nature conservation, pets and companion animals (Tractor Supply is also the parent company of by Tractor Supply), and being a good neighbor in the communities it calls home.
As part of the launch of , the company announced a $1 million donation to 10 charities that focus on supporting military service members, veterans and first responders. The company鈥檚 focus on pets and animals contributed to its gifts to the , which supports the care needs of law enforcement canines, and , which rescues and trains dogs as service dogs for veterans struggling with PTSD and other invisible wounds of war.
Other organizations receiving funds included the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, National Volunteer Fire Council and Folds of Honor, which provides scholarships to the spouses and children of fallen or disabled military members.
鈥淭here are a lot of great benefits to the program, but one thing that differentiates it significantly is its inclusion of first responders,鈥� said Jodi Tepper, the company鈥檚 senior manager for content strategy. 鈥淔irst responders are a big part of all our communities and work at many of our stores. We鈥檙e excited to honor them with these benefits as well.鈥�
under the Hometown Heroes program start with automatic enrollment in the 鈥檚 top tier-Preferred Plus Neighbor status, which offers 2% back every day on all purchases, free shipping on orders more than $29 and free same-day delivery and trailer rentals twice per quarter. Additional perks include a quarterly 5% off coupon, discounts on the 4th of July, First Responders Day and Veterans Day and designated parking at stores. To participate, qualifying law enforcement, firefighters and EMTs/paramedics need only join Neighbor鈥檚 Club and verify their status through .
The company also supports its team members who serve or have served in the military, and those who pull double duty as emergency providers in their communities.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been interesting to see how many people who work for us are veterans and how many are still active-duty and go away on weekends,鈥� said Skold-Jordan. 鈥淲e hire many National Guard members for our distribution centers and supply chain roles. Their training makes them amazing leaders and a great fit for our team. And then we also have a lot of folks who work part-time for police and fire departments. We have one gentleman who鈥檚 worked for us for 20 years who鈥檚 also a flight paramedic. We鈥檙e proud to have people like that working for us.鈥�
TWO WAYS TO BENEFIT LIVES
Long before he worked at , Bigalke shopped at Tractor Supply. As a farm kid he grew up with horses, then as he got older added cows, chickens and sheep. Today he runs his own farm with seven horses and 13 head of cattle. The company is where he keeps them all fed.
It also facilitates the police and firefighting work he鈥檚 done for more than half a decade.
鈥淚 work a bunch everywhere, and it鈥檚 been just super easy. They make it fun to continue to do it,鈥� Bigalke said. 鈥淲e get to put in for our own schedules, and my manager and chief are both awesome about it. I pretty much get a set schedule during the week. Sometimes I鈥檒l start at Tractor, then go home, do some quick chores and then head over to Black Creek. It鈥檚 always worked out. They know my schedule. They know if I have a day where I can stay late and something needs to be done, I will. And if I can鈥檛, they totally understand. So it鈥檚 pretty nice like that.鈥�
Green stays just as busy between his dual responsibilities and got even busier after Hurricane Helene rolled through Georgia in late September. The week and a half after that he and his colleagues spent involved in cleaning up and assisting local residents impacted by the storm.
鈥淚t hit our county pretty hard,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e went out to help remove all the trees that were down and try to help people trapped in their houses. We also had a lot of residents without power or water, so we were bringing water to people who needed it.鈥�
Green was also a customer before he was a Tractor Supply team member, relying on his local store to keep his three dogs fed and cared for. He鈥檚 been a deputy even longer, and Tractor Supply works with him to accommodate those duties.
For both honorees, their dual roles provide distinct ways to stay connected and benefit lives in their close-knit small-town communities.
鈥淲e鈥檝e had times when some of the kids around here were getting into trouble 鈥� they needed positive influences,鈥� Green recalled. 鈥淲e try to get out and be positive role models and encourage them to stay in school and become something great.鈥�
At the same time, 鈥淭his is a rural area, and a lot of people farm,鈥� he added. 鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty awesome to be able to help them with their feed and other needs, and that they don鈥檛 have to travel far away to get what they need 鈥� it鈥檚 right here in town.鈥�
For emergency responders, the Neighbor鈥檚 Club they鈥檙e being offered are pretty nice too.
鈥淚t just gets you more every time you buy there 鈥� you just get more for your dollar,鈥� Bigalke said. 鈥淭hey have the quarterly discounts and stuff, which is great, but I think my biggest thing is being bumped up to Preferred Plus.鈥�
DONATIONS SUPPORT KEY ORGANIZATIONS
The one million dollars donated to kick off the campaign went to 10 different charities, each receiving $100,000.
鈥淲e were beyond thrilled and more than grateful for this wonderful, generous donation,鈥� said Judi Reilly, president of the 鈥檚 board of directors. 鈥淏eing an all-volunteer foundation, we strive to have as much of every dollar as possible go to the canines, and this will help tremendously.鈥� The NPDF will direct the funds toward obtaining, training and providing medical care for police dogs nationwide, as well as replacing those fallen in the line of duty.
鈥淜9s For Warriors is grateful to Tractor Supply for its incredible support of our mission to save veteran lives using highly trained service dogs,鈥� said Lindsay Grayson, chief revenue officer of . 鈥淭ractor Supply clearly recognizes the sacrifices veterans and their families make while serving our country and the ongoing support needed when they come back home. Tractor Supply鈥檚 donation will ensure K9s For Warriors continues to rescue, train and pair service dogs with veterans in need.鈥�
鈥淲e wanted to support organizations that focused on military, veterans and first responders, and we wanted them to represent rural America as well,鈥� said Skold-Jordan. 鈥淲e really looked at who the organizations were and who they supported, and we knew every one of them really made sense and aligned with who we are as a company and our mission and values.鈥�
It鈥檚 an ongoing priority for the company to remain active with the groups it assists. Part of that will entail activities across the country during Hometown Heroes Days. Things will kick off with an in-store event at every Tractor Supply location on October 26. One of the activities in which attendees will be able to participate is writing thank-you cards to first responders and veterans.
鈥淪ome stores will have food trucks or live music or special training or demonstrations by police officers. Each store will make the event their own, while celebrating Hometown Heroes,鈥� said Staub. 鈥淲e鈥檒l also give a special 10% off discount on October 28 to first responders, military service members and veterans when verified for Hometown Heroes, and then in November on Veterans Day, verified members will get that same offer.鈥�
To learn more about the Hometown Heroes program and its benefits for military, veterans and emergency personnel, visit Tractor Supply鈥檚 .