Giving Back: How Holly Murphy's VTO Changed a Community
Team Visionary | Visionary Services, Inc.
Giving Back: How Holly Murphy's VTO Changed a Community
When Front End Engineer Holly Murphy used her Visionary VTO, she didn't just volunteer - she helped orchestrate the 9th Annual Hold Our Youth Tight Triathlon Fundraiser. Sixteen hours of dedication. Countless additional hours of passion. One perfectly executed event that honored two lives while investing in Madison County's future.
What Giving Back Means
VTO: More Than Paid Time Off
At Visionary, Volunteer Time Off isn't just a line item on your benefits package. It's an invitation. An opportunity. A belief that our team members care deeply about their communities and should have the space to show up for the causes and organizations that matter most to them.
For Holly Murphy, that meant dedicating her 16 hours of 2026 VTO to something bigger than code and client deliverables. It meant rolling up her sleeves for the 9th Annual Hold Our Youth Tight (HOYT) Triathlon Fundraiser - a mission-driven event in Winterset, Iowa that honors the legacies of Hoyt Kenneth McDonald and Sullivan Garrett Hall while investing in local youth, families, and communities across Madison County.
The work Holly did over those two days in June wasn't always glamorous. But every task - from designing promotional materials to managing volunteer stations to restocking coolers - was done with the same care and attention she brings to her engineering work. That's what giving back really looks like.
The Event
A Luau-Themed Celebration with Heart
The 9th Annual HOYT Triathlon Fundraiser brought together 19 competing teams, dozens of volunteers, local vendors, sponsors, and hundreds of community members for a day unlike any other. Set in Winterset, Iowa on June 5-6, 2026, the event centered around a simple but powerful mission: honoring two lives cut short while channeling that grief into meaningful investment in the next generation.
This year's luau theme wasn't just decorative window dressing. It was intentional. It was a way to bring joy, color, and celebration to an event rooted in remembrance. And Holly was instrumental in bringing that vision to life.
Nineteen competing teams, countless volunteers, and hundreds of community members came together at the 9th Annual HOYT Triathlon Fundraiser. This moment captures the scale and spirit of the event that Holly helped bring to life.
Holly's Impact
From Concept to Execution: What 16 Hours Really Means
Holly's official VTO hours represented the two full, intense days of event execution. But as she notes, "many hours outside of what Visionary so graciously provides its employees for VTO were put into this event." That's the hallmark of someone who's genuinely invested - going beyond the ask because the mission demands it.
During those VTO hours and beyond, Holly wore multiple hats. She didn't just show up - she shaped the entire experience.
| Communications & Marketing
Created event social media content, designed themed signage and sponsorship banners, wrote personalized thank-you cards for sponsors and donors, designed promotional materials, maintained sponsors on the HOYT website, and executed the full social media post schedule before and during the event. |
Event Production & Logistics
Sourced and arranged raffle items, sold and logged raffle ticket sales, ensured all participants and volunteers completed event waivers, directed volunteers to assigned stations, and coordinated vendor parking and load-in/load-out logistics. |
| Entertainment & Atmosphere
Compiled a 19-song mashup for the Parade of Athletes, curated and managed the full luau/beach-themed playlist, ran the kids' piñata event, and coordinated all luau-themed programming including lei giveaways, themed decor, awards, and raffle vouchers. |
On-Site Support
Stocked and maintained coolers with water and beverages, supported pay-to-play organization, managed waste removal, re-stocked restroom supplies and sanitizer throughout the day, and kept grounds and facilities clean. |
When you break it down, every single task Holly touched was essential. There's no "small" job at an event like this. Every detail matters. Every contribution compounds.
The Mission
More Than An Event: A Community Investment
HOYT's three core mission pillars guide everything they do: contributing to mission-aligned partners, supporting Madison County public school systems, and giving back to surrounding communities. The 9th Annual Triathlon wasn't just about raising money - it was about demonstrating, in tangible and lasting ways, how grief can be transformed into generative impact.
Hoyt Kenneth McDonald and Sullivan Garrett Hall's legacies live on through the hundreds of young people whose lives have been touched by HOYT's work. Every dollar raised, every volunteer hour contributed, every moment of thoughtful community building - it all matters. It all compounds.
Holly understood this. She didn't just execute tasks - she stewarded an experience designed to celebrate that impact and inspire continued commitment to the mission.
What This Means
VTO as Values in Action
Holly's VTO experience represents something Visionary believes deeply: that our people are neighbors first, engineers second. That the work we do for clients matters, yes - but the lives we live in our communities matter too. And when someone shows up for a cause they believe in the way Holly showed up for HOYT, it doesn't just help the nonprofit. It strengthens the entire community ecosystem.
More than that, it sets a standard. When teammates see Holly rolling up her sleeves for 16+ hours of dedicated service, it sends a message: Visionary doesn't just talk about community investment. We make it possible. We create space for it. We celebrate it.
VTO policies exist at many companies. But not every company creates a culture where people feel genuinely empowered to use them. Not every company celebrates the impact their employees create on their own time. Visionary does both.
| Thank You, Holly. 🎉
Sixteen hours of VTO. Countless additional hours of passion and care. A perfectly executed event that honored two lives while investing in the future of an entire community. That's what giving back looks like when you do it right. Thank you for showing our team what it means to lead with your values. Thank you for representing Visionary in the community with such integrity and care. And thank you for reminding us all that the work we do in the world matters just as much as the work we do for clients. |
