A local business is giving back after getting some recognition.

T ’N G Plumbing staff are organizing an essay contest for a complete bathroom remodel for someone in Mower County who “deserves it” after the company was lauded as one of the Best of Mower County this year.

“I’m a pay it forward person,” said Gina Grundmeier, who owns T ’N G Plumbing with her husband, Todd. “I’m one of those people who, I’ll be in the checkout and I’ll pay for a person.”

To that end, she has contacted other Best of Mower County businesses to help completely redesign a bathroom for a Mower County family. T ’N G will contribute a new, $600 toilet, a bathtub or shower from Salem Manufacturing, new sink and more, while other businesses like Wagner Construction, Austin Electric, Thoroughbred Carpets, Flaherty Painting and Y Waste will contribute labor, carpentry, electrical wiring, floor paneling, painting, and the dump box to make the project happen.

The Holiday Inn and Convention Center has donated a week of housing to the selected family.

“I’m envisioning a Monday-to-Friday project,” she said. “This will be a weeklong project.”

T ’N G will hold a nomination period from Aug. 1 to Aug. 15 where people can submit an essay nominating a local person or family who deserves a new bathroom — whether it be a U.S. military serviceman or servicewoman, an elderly couple in need of handrails, or “just somebody that’s a hardworking family just trying to get by,” according to Gina.

The essay must also include information about the nominated person’s family as well as photos of their bathroom.

Several people who aren’t part of T ’N G Plumbing will look over the essays and give Gina and Todd a list of 10 finalists. T’N G will then inspect the bathrooms in question and hopefully announce a winner by Aug. 31.

Nominated parties can’t be related to someone working on the project, however, as Gina wants to make the contest as fair as possible.

Entries can be emailed to payitforward@tngplumbing.com or sent to T ’N G Plumbing at 64456 230th St. in Dexter. Mailed entries must be postmarked by Aug. 15.

Gina hopes the contest goes smoothly so this won’t be the end of T ’N G’s donation.

“This would be something actually we would hope to be repeating every year,” she said.