Charities launch Giving Tuesday, and more

Charities launch Giving Tuesday

After the shopping bonanzas of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, charities across the U.S. celebrated the inauguration this week of a new holiday—Giving Tuesday. Around 2,000 nonprofits and charitable organizations launched their seasonal charity drives on Tuesday to encourage Americans to consider spending money on good causes as well as on discounted goods, and to spend time volunteering for local charities after lining up at the mall. Organizers hope Giving Tuesday will one day eclipse its more famous, materialistic predecessors.

Retired owner transfers business to employees

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When Joe Lueken retired, he could easily have sold his thriving grocery business to a large corporation and reaped the benefits of his 46-year career. But the 70-year-old from Bemidji, Minn., instead decided to transfer ownership of his two supermarkets to his 400 employees. Workers will receive shares at no cost based on how long they’ve worked for Lueken, and the value of the shares will rise if the firm keeps growing. Lueken opted for the scheme after his sons chose not to take over the company. “You can’t always take,” he said. “You also have to give back.”

Fundraising at 101 Constitution Ave.

The lobbyists and power brokers who work at 101 Constitution Ave., one of the most prestigious corporate addresses in Washington, D.C., have long admired the tireless dedication of the building’s concierge, Jean Kabre. For years they’ve been pooling their talents to raise funds for Kabre’s home village of Tintilou in the West African country of Burkina Faso, which now has a well thanks to those efforts. This year’s $14,000 fundraiser haul will pay for food and education for the village children. “What is happening is just amazing, just incredible,” Kabre said.