BLACKFOOT — Employees at the Walmart in Blackfoot were recently honored for giving more community service than any other company store in the nation in 2012. 

Assistant Manager Stacey Burns said employees received the Helen Walton Award for participating in more than 3,000 hours of community service last year. 

“We were very honored,” she said. “We have a wonderful group of associates who really care. They jump in and help each other and the community and that’s nice to see.”

Walmart donates money to all the causes that the employees help with, so they were also able to give $53,000 to organizations they volunteered for in 2012, Burns said. And they received another $10,000 to give to a charity of their choice as part of the Helen Walton Award. 

Burns said the employees voted on the matter and decided to give the money to Rollin’ for a Cause, a local nonprofit organization that helps children with diabetes. 

Susan Jensen, president of Rollin’ for a Cause, said she was shocked to receive the money. 

Walmart officials asked her to stop by the store to talk about her organization, she said, adding that she didn’t have any idea that they were going to make the significant donation. She said the news was some of the best she’s ever received. 

“I have always been one to think that the sky is the limit, but have just been beside myself with the support and the pace that this (nonprofit) has grown,” she said. “To have a donation such as this validates that I am doing the right thing and tells me that people believe in what I am doing and that speaks volumes.”

Jensen said they will be able to use the money to help more kids in the community with medical expenses and a variety of other things, like camperships for those who want to attend summer and winter camps for diabetic youths. 

“I am so excited to think about the additional families and people that we can help with this money,” she said. 

Burns said employees were also excited to donate the award money to Rollin’ for a Cause. 

“I know we have a few associates in the store who are diabetic, and a few of the associates have children who are diabetic,” she said, adding that they wanted to help the nonprofit with its efforts. “This is a good store with good people who care.”