I have been a full-time resident of the Annandale area for 19 years now. In those years I have been continuously reminded of how generous the people of this community can be.
Recently three very worthy causes have started campaigns to raise funds. I am confident that the Annandale area will come through, as they always do.
■ "Hope for Henry" is an effort to raise money for the family of Annandale’s Henry Charles Dolan, a baby born 12 weeks premature with two serious heart defects.
■ Annandale Elementary is trying to raise $13,000 to purchase playground equipment that would be wheelchair accessible.
■ The Cardinal Athletic Association is spearheading a community effort to raise additional funds for Annandale Recreation Park, now under construction. Football Frenzy is in the air.
Hope for Henry
Henry Dolan was born on May 2, 12 weeks premature. At birth Henry weighed 2 pounds, 11 ounces.
Henry is the son of Sam and Mollie Dolan and the grandson of Skip and Cathy Dolan.
Henry has spent the first seven weeks of his life in the neonatal intensive care unit at Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis.
Along with being born 12 weeks early, Henry was born with two rare and serious heart defects. Henry will be facing several open heart surgeries and possibly a transplant in the coming weeks and months.
With the help of many family friends and relatives, a benefit is planned for 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, July 22, at Classic Hall in Annandale. A spaghetti dinner will be served along with a silent auction. Money raised will help offset some of the Dolan family expenses.
"Hope for Henry" T-shirts will soon be for sale and available at Tangles Salon & Spa. Designed and printed by Kris’ Screen Print and Design, the proceeds will also go to Henry’s family
A Hope for Henry float will be in Annandale’s Fourth of July Parade on Monday, July 4.
Look for Cardinal athletes walking along with the float wearing the T-shirts.
Plans are for a portable basketball hoop on a pull behind trailer. For $1 a shot, parade goers can take the hoops challenge, with a chance to win a prize along the parade route.
A bucket will be pulled behind the float to take donations.
From Thursday, June 30, to Monday, July 4, wrist bands and donation jars will be available at many booths to promote "Hope for Henry."
Playground
Laura Scheer, who provides occupational therapy services to the Annandale School District through Meeker and Wright Special Education Cooperative, is leading a fundraising effort to buy a piece of playground equipment that would be accessible for students in wheelchairs at Annandale Elementary School.
Currently children who use wheelchairs as their means of mobility are unable to access any playground equipment at the school.
The piece of equipment the school district would like to purchase is called Sway Fun, with a cost of $13,000.
Annandale Elementary currently has two children utilizing wheelchairs. The Sway Fun will give them the ability to play with their peers on this equipment.
Since an article appeared in the Advocate in late May, the effort has raised nearly $11,000. Along with many private donations, contributions have come from the Cardinal Athletic Foundation, Annandale PTO, Heart of the Lakes Triathlon, Kiwanis, South Haven Fire Dept. Relief Association and the Annandale Health and Community Services.
If you would like to contribute, donations in any amount would be helpful. Checks can be made out to School District 876 and sent to: District Office, 125 Cherry Avenue, Annandale Minnesota 55302. In the memo line write: Special Education playground equipment.
Frenzy for the Rec Park
The Cardinal Athletic Foundation is undertaking a big fundraising effort to raise money for the now under construction Annandale Recreation Park.
Football Frenzy is coming to Annandale and likely will raise thousands of dollars for the new recreation park.
Ten dollar tickets will be sold for the last 10 NFL games of the 2016 season.
All of the NFL teams are scrambled and divided into three-team combinations and printed on the ticket. Every ticket has three teams which change each week. No two tickets have the same three teams for any given week.
There will be nine winning tickets each week and $500 in cash prizes will be given out every week in the Annandale pool.
Tickets will be sold up until Saturday, Oct. 15.
If 5,000 Football Frenzy tickets are sold, it will raise $27,500 for the rec park. If they sell 2,000 tickets, it will generate $12,000 for the park.
School district voters approved a $4-million bond for first phase of the project in a 2015 bond referendum. Construction has gotten underway this month with completion expected by the spring of 2018.
Football Frenzy is about raising for the extra things like bleachers, basketball courts and playgrounds.
Tickets can be bought now from any Cardinal Athletic Foundation member. If you are looking to buy a ticket on July 4th there should be someone selling the tickets at or near the All-Night Graduation Party booth near the pavilion.
All of these fundraising efforts are worthy of our community’s support. I hope you will consider helping with all three efforts.
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