PINK BRINGS A RECORD YEAR
It was a record year for the Paint Blooming Prairie Pink event in 2017.
With a sea of pink around town and various weekend activities, the Blooming Prairie Cancer Group cracked a new record of more than $60,000.
The crown was placed on all of the Blooming Prairie Cancer Group's benefit auctions last Friday and Saturday with both auctions bringing in $42,000. The monies came from bidders seeking some of the many donated items.
Cheri Krejci, treasurer for the BP Cancer Group, was losing her voice as she related the results of another successful cancer benefit, the 17th annual.
"I am just amazed at the support given our community in our efforts to find a cure for cancer," said Krejci, a cancer survivor herself.
The auctions, of course, were the highlights of the Paint BP weekend. A walk/run drew about 70 participants on Saturday and many people came to the tent near the Field of Flags to have their hair cut and nails done. Barb Kraling organized these activities, promoted as Cut for a Cure. She reported donations of $1,205.
Krejci said that all Paint BP activities including auctions, flags, family bingo, 50-50 raffle, Cut for a Cure and the Prihoda raffle accounted for more than $60,000, a record. Last year, the auctions earned $32,000 and all Paint BP Pink activities garnered $50,000.
More than 140 items were auctioned on Friday night and another 150 items on Saturday night, the biggest auction night. The Big Tent located just west of The Cue Company was crowded with bidders and workers. Both night auctions went from 7-11 p.m.
A team of auctioneers and emcees made the auctions a giant success. Auctioneers included Jonatha Kraling, Steve Seykora, Dave Thompson, Galen Peterson, Mark Ditlevson. Emcees were Mike Trom, Kelly Lamotte, Paul Tollefson and Josh Toquam.
Mark Lang, a sergeant for the Blooming Prairie Police Department, was the successful bidder on a Ford NASCAR racing helmet, which included autographs of four racers, one of them being this year's Daytona 500 champion Kurt Busch. Lang was in a battle with Jeff Ingvalson for the helmet and won with a final bid of $1,100.
Cheri Krejci and daughter Lindsey donated six plates of cinnamon caramel rolls with the first two plates selling for $200 each.
Tony Lea won a Minnesota Gophers football basket with four game tickets and other memorabilia. He paid $500 for this item.
A work bench sold for $550 and was won by Julie Noble.
Sherry Kartes donated a beautiful, colorful quilt that was taken home on Saturday night by Nels and Yvonne Lee. The bargain price was $200. Cheri Krejci was the winner of another quilt on Friday night, the item bringing in $225.
Auctioneers cleverly made appeals both nights to help the BP Cancer Group Community Fund. Thirty bidders flashed their
*/