Minnesota Night

 The 2nd Annual Minnesota Night hosted by the Minnesota Parent's Club was held in the Arnold Hall Ballroom. They hosted around 300 guests (there are 88 MN Cadets and each was allowed 2 guests), also invited were the international Cadets as well as Academy staff and permanent party.

This event was held as a way to bring a little bit of Minnesota State Fair to their Cadets who miss the State Fair (held in August when the Cadets are back at USAFA), as well as bringing gifts from home. They purposely held the event in February because it’s winter and warmer in Colorado than in Minnesota.  There were 38 parents and family members who made the trip to Colorado Springs to help put on the event.

  

  

They served up Minnesota’s favorite foods brought from home: Fresh Minnesota Walleye (state fish caught all year), tater tot hotdish, State Fair cheese curds, lefse with butter and sugar, honeycrisp apples (invented at the University of Minnesota) with caramel dip, wild rice soup and Minnesota’s own famous Sweet Martha’s cookies.

  

  

 Dave Ryan from “The Dave Ryan Show” KDWB in Minnesota travelled out as well to MC the event. Dave’s father used to work at USAFA and he grew up on base.

   

  

  

Here's a list of their sponsors and donors for the event.

Donation Level Donor Amout Item
Falcon 3M $5,000.00 gifts for bags
Falcon Ron Hall $2,500.00 Walleye, Cheese Curds, Catering Equipment & Catering
Falcon Bose $2,000.00 3 Bose Headphones and a theater surround system

Falcon

Falcon

Polaris

Minnesota Twins

$1,500.00

$1600.00

hats, beanies, t-shirts, backpacks, luggage, jackets / $500 Cash

Merchandise

Airman Christine & Bob Hockman $1,125.00 State patches for flight suits, gift bags, Yeti mugs
Falcon Wendy Ojala & Justin Klett $1,090.00 various prizes
Falcon Slingshot Plastics $1,000.00 Cash
Falcon TCA AOG $1,000.00 Cash

Airman

 

MN Fire Chiefs Assoc.

 

$780.00

 

Fire Department Tee Shirts

 

Airman Lakeville Lions $600.00 Cash
Airman Bottema Family Farms $500.00 Cash
Airman Chick-Fil-A $500.00 Spin the wheel game & prizes
Airman Lakeville Rotary Foundation $500.00 Cash
Airman Mall of America $500.00 $150; $350 in tix and merchandise
Airman Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux $500.00 cash
Airman General Mills $375.00 food donations
Airman Steve & Danya Gustafson $375.00 Cash
Airman Lakeville Trophy $325.00 Will provide event/sponsor Banner
Airman Hugo Matejcek VFW Auxiliary #3723 $300.00 Cash
Airman Prior Lake Lions $300.00 Cash
Airman Shearer's Snacks $300.00 300 bags licorice
Airman Bad Daddy's Burgers $285.00 20 burger gift cards
Terrazzo Anchor Paper $250.00 300 gift bags
Terrazzo Cirrus Aircraft $250.00 Cash
Terrazzo Denny's $250.00 Dressing, tarter sauce, carmel dip, silverware
Terrazzo Greenside Landscaping $250.00 Cash
Terrazzo Hollis & Catherine Cavner $250.00 Cash
Terrazzo Minnesota State Fair $250.00 State Fair Buttons/ Cups/pens
Terrazzo Restaurant Technologies - Corporate $250.00 trinkets for gift bags
Terrazzo Robb Reed $250.00 Cash for gift cards
Terrazzo Robert & Janet Pasnau $250.00 Cash
Terrazzo Rocky Mountain Chocolates $250.00 candy
Airman Roundbank $250.00 Cash
Terrazzo Mary's and Maggies $210.00 28 boxes of soup
Terrazzo Dakota Electric $200.00 Cash
Terrazzo Jaci & Brian Tuin $200.00 $200 in subway gift cards
Terrazzo Minnesota Gophers $200.00 Trinkets & clothes
Terrazzo Minnesota United $200.00 Jersey, t-shirt, hat, scarf
Terrazzo Northstar Granite $200.00 Cash
Terrazzo Warners' Stellian $200.00 Cash
Terrazzo Cole's Salon Savage/Prior Lake $175.00 gift basket
Terrazzo Jill & Joseph Bruns $150.00 Cash
Terrazzo Mary & Tom Steiner $150.00 cash
Terrazzo Pam & Jim Koch $150.00 Cash
Terrazzo Sue Ojala $150.00 gift cards
Terrazzo Carol the Cake Lady $130.00 15 dozen cakes
Terrazzo furnitureWORX $125.00 Cash
Terrazzo Kraft - Heinz $125.00 food donation for goody bags
Terrazzo Sweet Martha's Cookies $125.00 50 dozen cookies
Terrazzo Zyvonne & David Langan $125.00 Cash
Terrazzo Mrs. Olson's Lefse $120.00 Lefse
Terrazzo Beniek Property Services $100.00 Cash
Terrazzo Canes - Castle Rock $100.00 gift basket
Terrazzo Citizens Bank & Trust Co $100.00 cash
Terrazzo Deb & Ed Reicher $100.00 Cash
Terrazzo Dick's Sanitation $100.00 Amex gift card
Terrazzo Gigi & Tom Guilland $100.00 Cash
Terrazzo Industrial Tool Solutions $100.00 Cash
Terrazzo John & Judith Ahlquist $100.00 Cash
Terrazzo Minnesota Timberwolves $100.00 Tickets
Terrazzo North Shore Apparel $100.00 t-shirt, hats & discount cards
Terrazzo Restaurant Technologies - Denver $100.00 cooking oil
Terrazzo State Farm Insurance $100.00 Cash
Terrazzo Target - Lakeville $100.00 $100 gift card
Doolie Chick-Fil-A $85.00 food cards
Doolie Vineyard Vines corporate $85.00 Men's tie
Doolie Starbucks - Shakopee $80.00 donation of products
Doolie Adam Turman (MN artist) $75.00 11x14 and 18x24 original screen print "MN Months"
Doolie Gina & Ted Ciganik $75.00 gift cards
Doolie Jen & Lou Stephens $75.00 gift cards
Doolie Love from MN store $75.00 MN-related merchandise
Doolie Patti & David Blair $75.00 Cash
Doolie Sue & Stephen Jantscher $75.00 Cash
Doolie Costco - Burnsville $50.00 Gift Card
Doolie Costco - Eden Prairie $50.00 Gift Card
Doolie Maple Grove Fire Department $50.00 2 t-shirts & 2 coins
Doolie MN Vikings $50.00 Poster & trading card
Doolie Karen & Mike Pirozzoli $40.00 Wild t-shirts
Doolie Jen Barb Creations $35.00 bracelet & necklace
Doolie Starbucks - Savage $35.00 prizes
Doolie Denny's $30.00 (3) $10 gift cards
Doolie Perkins $30.00 Gift Cards
Doolie Buffalo Wild Wings $25.00 gift card
Doolie Costco - Colorado Springs(Nevada) $25.00 $25 gift card
Doolie HyVee - Savage, MN $25.00 $25 gift card
Doolie Safeway $25.00 gift card
Doolie Sam's Club - Shakopee $25.00 gift card
Doolie Sprouts Farmer Market $25.00 gift card
Doolie Starbucks - Plymouth $25.00 gift bag of Starbucks treats
Doolie WCCO $19.99 T-Shirt
       
       
       

  

The parents attended the hockey game on Friday night as a group because they’re from Minnesota and it’s their state sport! 

To view the rest of the pictures, go to Galleries > Extracurricular > Special Events or click the link below.

Minnesota Night