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“Will you be MY VALENTINE?”

That question was asked of hundreds of sweethearts as they gathered for a Valentine Sweetheart dinner in Litomysl on Saturday, Feb. 22.

Typically, Valentine’s Day is observed on Feb. 14. The date was moved to accommodate the Blooming Prairie Servicemen’s Club for its special event on Feb. 14.

Judy and I have been fortunate enough to have attended each of the 10 annual dinners at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church. One dinner was cancelled because of COVID-19.

The aroma from the Windsor pork chop dinner is in the air for miles on the designated date in February.

First a fundraiser

The Valentine dinner idea was an idea concocted by volunteers of the parish, mainly to give the church basement a much-needed makeover. The dinner was originated as a fund raiser.

Volunteer Carol Prokopec was on board with this project from day one, as was Janet Miller.

This year’s 10th dinner saw Carol take a break and enjoy the evening with her husband, Bob.

Rewind to the first dinner. New cupboards were built and installed by Scott Kubicek, rural Ellendale. Steel counters were installed to allow the parish to meet state regulations, Prokopec said.

“We knew it would be done right,” she added.

Thousands of dollars were invested in the makeover, Prokopec said.

Further work involved the addition of new lighting and new flooring. Janet Miller was instrumental in involving the community. Singles, couples, widows and widowers were invited to use the facilities.

There were many church goers who were involved but stayed in the background. That volunteer pitch has allowed the church to utilize the extra funds to stay current with maintenance and repairs.

Pork chop dinner

The heart of the meal includes the three-quarter-inch Windsor pork chop. The chops came from Fareway Foods in Owatonna. This year’s dinner was again a sellout. Tickets have remained at $25 since the beginning.

The menu featuring the pork chop also includes a salad, a baked potato, glazed carrots, a roll, a decorated cupcake, coffee and water.

Many people from Holy Trinity help with the Valentine dinner. It is impossible to name all of the volunteers.

We will name just a few.

Jo Spinler is in charge of cleaning potatoes. Keith Holman is the elevator captain. Carol Holman has been ticket chair most years. Calls for tickets reportedly came in before Christmas.

“I feel sorry for those who do not volunteer,” said Prokopec. “They are missing a lot of fun.”

Sister Franchon Pirkl and her committee do the decorating each year of the event. Tons of door prizes are always given, due to the kindness of the donors.

See you next year!