It all started from a simple potato. More than a quarter of a century ago, R.D. Offutt Company (RDO) team members sought to find a meaningful way to give back to the community.
Tom Espel, executive director of the Offutt Family Foundation, recalls the very earliest efforts to create a community engagement event unique to RDO. He was part of the group of RDO team members who first brainstormed ideas, and that drive by team members is one of the things Espel is glad to see thriving in RDO Caters Taters events today.
“My favorite part of RDO Caters Taters is that it is a team member-driven event,” he said. “It wasn’t a directive by management; it was an idea that came from employees who asked, ‘What can we do, how can we positively impact our community?’ I love that our team cares about how they can give back. Year after year, they bring that passion to life in vibrant ways.”
The idea was to host a fundraising lunch by serving up a Midwest staple: a large baked potato piled high with hearty toppings such as bacon, butter, chili, salsa or shredded cheese — and RDO Caters Taters was born. 
As RDO is one of the nation’s largest potato growers, it only seemed natural to make the spud the star of this special event. Delicious as they may be, though, the spuds never outshine the real reason for the gathering: the benefitting charity.
Each year, the goal for RDO Caters Taters events is the same: be an effective partner to the charity through raising awareness and funds. Charities, venues and event features have shifted and evolved over the years, but that commitment to partnership remains.
Let’s take a look at RDO Caters Taters through the years:
- 2000: RDO Caters Taters set the tradition of donating 100% of the funds raised.
- 2000: The first year, when attendees called or wrote in their orders, RDO Caters Taters served more than 700 potatoes and raised $10K.
- 2006: RDO Caters Taters sells out of spuds for the first time.
- Mid-2000s: RDO Caters Taters added a raffle by partnering with area businesses.
- 2010: When RDO Caters Taters celebrated its 10th anniversary, the luncheon tripled its total raised to $30K.
- 2010s: RDO team members usually serve 2500 – 3000 guests during this first-class fundraiser.
- 2020s: For the last few years, RDO Caters Taters’ donations have reached more than six figures for the charity selected.
The People Behind the Potatoes
More than 100 volunteers from RDO and the charity work together to make the annual pound-tato luncheon happen, totaling hundreds of thousands of hours of volunteering. RDO team members give their time to help make this event possible and give back to their immediate community. As a bonus, they create hundreds of memories and connections to their community.
Holly Heintzman – Purchasing Specialist – R.D. Offutt Company
Years of involvement with RDO Caters Taters: 20
“My favorite RDO Caters Taters memory was the very first time the event sold out in 2006. We never thought that it would sell out once, let alone the two or three times that it has since then. But reaching that milestone that year was very exciting, and we were all blown away by the community response and the result.”
Amanda Dawson – Human Resources Director
Years of involvement with RDO Caters Taters: 18 
“I think my favorite memory is something that happens at every single event, at the end where the big check gets shared with the charity,” she said. “You just see that all the team members’ hard work comes together.”
25 Years of Caters Taters and Counting
Since its beginning, RDO Caters Taters for Charity has raised more than $1.1 million for local nonprofits, including BIO Girls, Great Plains Food Bank, HOPE, Inc., Jeremiah Program and PATH ND.
This year, RDO Caters Taters is partnering with Farm in the Dell of the Red River Valley (FITD), a charity that uses agriculture’s transformative power to empower adults with developmental disabilities. 100% of the dollars raised will help FITD make infrastructure improvements, including adding structures and amenities more suitable for use during winter months. These funds will allow them to extend programming, events and employment options for Garden Engineers outside the traditional growing season.
“This year will forever be marked as pivotal for FITD as we partner with RDO Caters Taters,” said Anna Sather, FITD’s executive director. “This gift will help to expand our programming and Garden Engineer team in hopes of eventually extending our season, possibly into year-round employment.”
Save the date for this year’s RDO Caters Taters for Charity: Monday, October 28, at the Holiday Inn Fargo.
