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REFLECTIONS

reflections, howard lestrud, owatonna, steele county
Katie Clayton and Tracy Madsen play the Vanna White roles during the BP Cancer Auctions held earlier this month in Blooming Prairie. They helped promote auction items for sale. Staff photo by Howard Lestrud
Blooming Prairie strong returns year after year
By
Howard Lestrud, Contributing Writer

This is an easy Reflections to write!

The Blooming Prairie Cancer Group has struck with authority once again. For the 21st year, the BP Cancer Group has run successful auctions that have brought in well over $1 million.

Here’s a column I wrote a few years ago. I reprint it here because it accurately represents what was done with Gun Bingo and the two nightly auctions last Thursday, Friday and Saturday:

It's just unbelievable!

The above statement could be said over . . .over. . . and over.

The statement summarizes feelings from many as to how benevolent the Blooming Prairie area is.

This year’s fundraisers plus many more aimed at cancer research will hopefully send the BP Cancer Group to the Rochester Eagles Cancer Telethon next January with another bucket of funds.

There are many other causes that are presented to the Blooming Prairie locals and their friends and family. These causes, too, bring in lots of funds.

How can Blooming Prairie continue supporting all of these events? It's because Blooming Prairie has people who take care of one another and will step up to help.

Small towns have some ingredients for success that other larger sized communities don't have.

Identity is one of these ingredients. Because many of its residents are related to one another, Blooming Prairie has identity.

Faith is another ingredient. Blooming Prairie has a strong faith community and different faiths come together to make an even stronger entity.

Hard work makes Blooming Prairie strong. Its residents are not afraid to work hard and accomplish goals.

Family values are clearly those that are treasured by many. Families in small towns stay together by accepting tough challenges, by asking for help if it is needed and by helping others. Families in Blooming Prairie sit at the dinner table together.

This community has shown its ability to overcome some hard knocks.

Some other ingredients that make Blooming Prairie a strong community include a business-driven chamber of commerce, an innovative manufacturing structure and a strong school district.

Because all of these ingredients are necessary to be Blooming Prairie-strong, Blooming Prairie residents are not afraid to share their personal resources to help others.

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