Full April 9 scheduled – support for bicycle education, fundraiser dinner at Peacemals
The Mountain Lake Area Foundation (MLAF) is ready to take up a challenge believes Wade Nelson, the organization’s chair.
The group is working to raise $3,000 to match funds to be received from the Southwest Initiative Foundation’s (SWIF) Challenge Grant. They have until June 30 to acquire the monies. SWIF is a single connection created to process many gifts and grants, organize and support community leaders, invest in business and provide business lending, help businesses grow and improve and share southwest Minnesota stories and promote the region. The MLAF is organized as an affiliate of SWIF.
The funds from this grant will be added to the MLAF Endowment Fund.
En route to meeting the challenge, the MLAF has organized a major event on Saturday, April 9. The focus of the day will be on living a healthy lifestyle; staying active and healthy eating. For the first half of the Saturday, the MLAF has teamed up with the Mountain Lake Police Department to hold a bicycle education course and awarding of 15 bicycles of different sizes from Free Bikes 4 Kidz. The group collects, refurbishes and donates bikes to kides in the Twin Cities metro area. It is the brainchild of Terry Esau of Minneapolis, a native of Mountain Lake. The MLAF is the first organization outside of the metro area to receive a donation from the group. Another event will be an afternoon Community Bike Ride.
The day will conclude with a fine dining experience at Steve and Judy Harder’s Peacemeals Restaurant in Mountain Lake. Peacemeals is an addition to the Harders’ original Jubilee Fruits and Vegetables. Jubilee Fruits and Vegetables LLC began five years ago as a small CSA (Community-Supported Agriculture) farm. Peacemeals is located in the new Jubilee Market building.
A silent auction kickoff will be held in conjunction with the meal, with bids accepted on remaining auction items on display in Mountain Lake City Hall or 10,000 Villages/Care & Share.
Following is a complete rundown on the day’s events:
+ 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. – Classroom bicycle education conducted by the Mountain Lake Police Department’s Officer Emily Mathiowetz in the Mountain Lake Public School’s elementary library. At the training, the Mountain Lake Early Childhood Initiative (ECI) will distribute books to participants. The police department will have the department’s new two-wheeler on hand at the class. Kids and parents are encouraged to attend the training.
+ 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. – Free Bikes 4 Kidz ceremony with the 15 donated bicyles to be presented to students through a drawing, Assisting will be Esau, Mountain Lake Mayor Mike Nelson, Officer Mathiowetz, Mountain Lake Police Chief Doug Bristol and others. In addition, Chief Bristol will present 48 bicycle helmets of different sizes, 20 blinking rear lights for bicycles and bicycle identification stickers.
+ 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. – Community Bike Ride with either two or three groups heading out on a route, depending on ability level. Routes will be either the Mountain Lake Bike Route or on the Mountain Lake Trail. The bike rides will start and end at Mountain Lake City Park. Participants will receive a bottle of water – and coupon for a free ice cream cone at Sweet Fields. Distributed will be the new Mountain Lake Bike Roue maps. Also that time, the police department will be registering kids and adults for future bike rides. According to Chief Bristol, plans have to one ride per month with people of all ages participating.Chief Bristol noted that, “Our home is that hte idea of community or group bike rides will spread, with adults taking charge and forming their own groups with fellow adults, or as leaders of organized rides with youngsters.”
+ 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. – The event at Peacemeals. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m., with silent auction items on display and musical entertainment. The dinner will run from 6 p.m. to 6:45 p.m., with a program, featuring Esau and Steve and Judy Harder, along with Josh Raabe, Mountain Lake Christian Speech Team member who recently was the South Sub-Section 2A Champ in Humorous Interpretation, as well as two or three Mountain Lake Public High School students presenting vocal selections, beginning at 7 p.m. The emphasis will remain on living a healthy lifestyle. Tickets are $#50 apeice and are on sale at Peterson Thrifty White Drug and Gifts and Care and Share/10,000 Villages, or from any board member.
Silent Auction Items
+ Bike the Mountain Lake Bike Route with Minnesota State District 22B Representative Rod Hamilton.
+ Bike or run the Mountain Lake Trail with Mountain Lake Mayor Mike Nelson.
+ Minnesota Wild – gift pack. ($50 value).
+ Everyone has a story to tell; tell your story on Cross-Counties Connect.
+ Five hours of science and/or math tutoring with Wade Nelson.
+ St. Paul Saints – two reserved tickets to be used during May or June.
+ Autographed book by Amy Klobuchar, “The Senator Next Door.”
+ Autographed Minnesota Vikings photograph of Cordarrelle Patterson.
+ Mountain Lake Early Childhood Initiative (ECI) – gift basket for kids.
+ Mankato Moondogs – four tickets to be used during the 2016 season and two baseball caps. ($51 value).
+ City of Mountain Lake/Island View Campground – one (1) two-night stay and one (1) three-night stay.
+ Peterson Thrifty White Drug and Gifts – gift basket.
+ Our Hometown Cafe – four (4) free Sunday buffets.
+ Red Brick Inn – one-night stay ($150 value), based on availability (expires 12-31-16)
+ Lisa’s Sweet Treats (Lisa Larson) – each month for 12 months, receive a box of treats, cookies, cupcakes or candies. (Approximately $150 value.)
+ Progressive Chiropractic – gift basket.
+ The Good Samaritan Society of Mountain Lake – gift basket.
+ Mountain Lake Antiques (Tammy Engstrom) – consultation and appraisal for an estate sale within a 20-mile radius. ($100 value) The $100 that saves you $100s.
+ Pop’d Kerns – variety box of product flavors.
+ Jubilee Market & Peacemeals – 10 loaves of bread.
+ Maynard’s Foods – two (2) $25 gift certificates.
+ Mountain Lake Floral – a carnation a month for 12 months.
+ Sweet Fields – 30 ice cream cone coupons.
+ Pow Wow Grande Parade Committee – recognized raffle winner eligible to ride through Pow Wow Grande Parade.
+ Salon 310 – 2 haircuts ($21 each) and 1, 30-minute massage ($35 value).
+ John Oeltjenbruns – ride around Mountain Lake on his blue motorized vehicle. (passenger can’t be in excess of 250 pounds.)
+ Country Pride Cooperative Services (True Value Hardware) – $25 gift certificate.
+ 10,000 Villages – gift basket.
+ Town’s Edge Auto -gift basket.
About the MLAF
The MLAF is a 501 (c) (3), and was established in 1996 to attract and administer charitable funds for the benefit of the Mountain Lake Community. It is a permanent resource for the community and provides leadership and financial resources in the form of grants, to meet the needs and economic and social growth of the community.
Over the past 10 years, the MLAF has disbursed more than $300,000 in funds to various entities, including the Mountain Lake Ambulance Squad, the Mountain Lake Public School track, the public school marching band, Heritage Village, Early Childhood Family Education, Mountain Lake Public School indoor swimming pool, Mountain Lake Community Loaves and Fishes Food Shelf, the local medical clinic, the Mountain Lake Police Department, etc.)
The MLAF sports five funds:
+ Project Fund – A non-endowed fund used to raise money for capital projecs withing hte community, as directed by the MLAF Board of Directors.
+ Brad Behrends Memorial Fund – A non-endowed fund established to support the community through scholarships and other grant distributions.
+ Foundation for Education Fund – A non-endowed fund that benefits both the public and private school systems in the area.
+ Harder Family Fund – Advised by family members, an endowed and non-endowsed fund created to benefit southwest Minnesota (including Mountain Lake).
+ Healthcare Fund – A fund established to support healthcare in the community from infants to the elderly, often in proactive forms.
The MLAF Board of Directors includes:
+ Chair Wade Nelson.
+ Treasurer Tim Swoboda.
+ Secretary Misty Karschnik.
+ Sharron Hanson.
+ Vern Peterson.
+ Brian Harder.
+ Joyce Bucklin.
+ Pat Weir.
+ Kris Langland.
