Local man giving back through a ‘bigger or better’ challenge

IDAHO FALLS — Eugene Engmann carries a reddish book pinch him everyplace he goes. Its pages incorporate messages astir life and happiness from group each complete nan world.

Some of these handwritten messages travel from elected officials and thought leaders. Others are from mean people. Among them is this proposal from 2019 Nobel Prize winner Stan Whittingham: “Make judge that you bask life, it’s not each work.”

“People who triumph nan Nobel prize activity really hard. So for him to opportunity ‘take clip to bask life’ really meant a lot,” Engmann tells EastIdahoNews.com.

The quote from Stan Whittingham successful Engmann’s reddish book. | Rett Nelson, EastIdahoNews.com

Learning from others has go a lifelong pursuit for Engmann. The 32-year-old Idaho Falls man often travels successful his occupation pinch nan Idaho National Laboratory, which gives him galore opportunities to interact pinch others.

But Engmann isn’t conscionable learning astir happiness secondhand. He precocious launched a fundraiser to use a section kindness for nan sole intent of spreading happiness and giving backmost to nan community.

Between now and January, he’s hoping to raise $2,500 for nan Ronald McDonald Family Room astatine Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center — and he’s doing it pinch a bigger aliases amended waste and acquisition challenge.

He started pinch a insubstantial clip and began trading it for bigger aliases amended items.

“I traded that for a journal,” says Engmann. “That was astir $12.”

He traded nan diary for a toolbox, which was traded for a caller halfway array from Romaine’s Mattress King. The halfway array was traded for a three-night enactment successful an RV from Teton Adventure Rentals.

“I americium presently looking for a waste and acquisition for nan three-night stay,” he says, which is worthy $948.

The thought is to waste nan past point and donate nan money to nan Ronald McDonald house. Engmann is besides accepting donations done Venmo.

During this endeavor, Engmann says it’s been rewarding to meet group he ne'er would’ve met different and to spot really overmuch they’re consenting to give.

Engmann holding nan insubstantial clip erstwhile he began nan fundraiser. | Courtesy Eugene Engmann

‘You tin study from anyone’

His liking successful learning from others life experiences stems backmost to his childhood. He grew up successful Ghana, West Africa and recalls a “life-changing” instruction he learned successful sixth grade.

“My relative successful third-grade came location and said she learned astir aerial astatine school. I asked her, ‘What did you study astir air?’ She said successful a very elemental and profound way, ‘Air is simply a substance of gases,'” Engmann recalls.

The adjacent day, Engmann says nan coach successful his subject people asked nan aforesaid question. Recalling what his relative had told him nan time before, he didn’t judge he had nan correct reply but raised his manus anyway.

He repeated what his relative had told him and his coach told nan people to clap for him.

“It was a defining infinitesimal successful my life. You tin study from anyone,” Engmann says.

Years later, he ended up attending assemblage astatine Brigham Young University-Idaho successful Rexburg. He bought a achromatic book and started collecting proposal from those he encountered.

One day, he sent his book to nan president of nan United States. He declined to place nan president by name. The book was gone for a agelong clip and Engmann thought he’d ne'er get it back.

Months later, he went to nan mailbox and saw a missive from nan White House.

“I didn’t moreover attraction if he (the president) had written successful it. I conscionable wanted my book back,” says Engmann. “The president wasn’t capable to constitute astatine that clip … but he sent maine an autographed picture.”

Though nan president didn’t respond, his achromatic book does incorporate individual messages from Idaho Gov. Brad Little and Paulette Jordan, his Democratic force successful nan 2018 election.

With nan reddish book, Engmann has expanded his focus. This sentence, written connected a portion of insubstantial that’s taped to nan backmost cover, is written successful 16 languages: “If you could springiness maine immoderate proposal astir life and happiness, what would it be? Kindly constitute it successful my book.”

The backmost screen of Engmann’s reddish book. | Rett Nelson, EastIdahoNews.com

Engmann has collected dozens of comments successful his reddish book and now has a Facebook page wherever he posts astir nan group he meets during this endeavor.

He’s raised astir $350 done Venmo since launching nan fundraiser.

Those who’d for illustration to waste and acquisition aliases make a aid tin connection Engmann done nan Facebook page aliases telephone him astatine (208) 206-3260.

Engmann, right, pinch nan personification who traded nan array for nan toolbox. | Courtesy Eugene Engmann