New leaders step into cancer auction roles in BP

There’s been a definite changing of the guard at this year’s 24^th Annual Blooming Prairie Cancer Group auction, though there’s really just one degree of separation.

For most of those two decades, Cheri Krejci played a major role in the fundraiser, which has raised more than $1.5 million.

The money has traditionally been divided between the general fund, which is donated to cancer research efforts, and the community fund, which goes to cancer patients and their families.

This year, though, Krejci’s daughter, Lindsey French, gently took the reins. She, along with Tammy Busho, Mandy Doocy and Lexi LaMontagne are the co-chairs of this year’s event, set for Sept. 5 and 6.

There are multiple subcommittees, with longtime volunteers filling those roles – and those jobs.

“I feel like it’s running so smoothly because we’re all taking a part, and we’re all doing our part – which felt stressful sometimes, but I think we work well together,” Doocy said at a cancer group meeting last week.

“We knew it was going to take a lot, losing Cheri and Connie (Trom),” said LaMontagne. “It’s really fun to have everybody be able to have more of a role and a voice in everything.”

Though Krejci and Trom have taken several steps back, they’re still involved.

Trom’s house is the staging point for the nearly 200 items that will go on the auction block next weekend; Krejci has been a top seller of the raffle tickets.

“She’s like, well, I couldn’t quit cold turkey,” said Melissa Klocke, who provided bundles of tickets for the raffle.

While many of the responsibilities remain the same, the biggest difference is easy to identify: technology.

The group uses the BAND app, a communication platform that offers a centralized space for organizing activities, sharing information and more.

At the Aug. 20 meeting, several members sent out mass requests to join the group’s new Facebook page.

“We got in Facebook jail on our old one,” French said, “for sharing things about gun Bingo, because guns are not allowed on Facebook.”

Now called Sportsmen’s Bingo, the Sept. 4 event has just 220 seats available, with a wide range of firearms awarded as prizes.

The new Facebook page, Blooming Prairie Cancer Group, https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575552154148 has fewer limitations, French said.

Before the Field of Flags – more than 300 pink banners – went up Aug. 24, she asked for volunteers for what used to be a tedious role.

“My mom kindly reminded me that in the past years, she has taken pictures of every flag and put them on Facebook for the people who can’t get here to see them in person,” French said.

“She posted 10 pictures a day, kept track of the ones she’d posted, then kept track of the ones she posted and the ones she still needed to post,” she continued, drawing groans.

“So my thought is, if I could have somebody … help me to just snap pictures of all of them, and then I could put them into a quick video,” French said, as the groans turned to nods of approval.

“Then I don’t have to remember to post every day, and keep track … if I have to break it into two or three smaller videos, that’s still more manageable than posting 10 pictures 30 times,” she said.

“As the old lady of the group, being 25, 26, whatever years into this, you guys are doing great,” said Jennifer Milton. “You’ve got good ideas; you’ve got new ideas, and it’s great. It really is.

“It’s good to see, because then I can step back,” she said. “Hopefully, you guys feel like that, too.”

They did, the group said.

“And just remember, this will be the worst year,” Busho said, drawing laughter before she clarified herself. “Every year after is going to go better, and we’ll learn and grow.”

French, who knows her mother will be watching, also knows the value of teamwork.

“We just want to thank all of the subcommittees, because we – Tammy, Mandy, Lexi and I – could not do this event without all of you guys and your subcommittees helping us,” she said.

“It takes all of us, and you guys really pulled through huge.”