MSU President's Column for Traill County Tribune

June 29, 2013

“Back Behind the Barn” 5K Run/Walk will kick off day-long Farmers Bowl festival

 

Planning and preparation for Mayville State University’s annual Farmers Bowl is underway. The annual day-long festival that honors the region’s agricultural way of life began in 1995 and has become an annual highlight for the entire area. It is fitting to celebrate our agricultural way of life as we cheer on the Comets and support Mayville State University.

We are thrilled that Lois Karlstad and Cheryl Angen have agreed to serve as co-chairs of this year’s event. They are stepping into the shoes of long-time Farmers Bowl co-chairs Tim and Sue Strand. The Strands, who had done a fabulous job of chairing the Farmers Bowl since 2000, stepped down following last year’s event.

Farmers Bowl 2013 will be held Saturday, September 21. We’re excited that the day will begin with the “Back Behind the Barn” 5K Run/Walk for the third year. Other activities will include a parade, corn on the cob and hot dog feed, football game featuring the Mayville State University Comets, and a charity auction.

The 5K will begin at 8:00 a.m. in front of Mayville State’s Old Main. Check-in time is 7:15 a.m. If paid by September 1, the entry fee is $20.00. This includes a t-shirt. The fee for those registering on race day is $25.00. T-shirts are not available for those who register after September 1. All proceeds of the run/walk will go toward the purchase of new equipment in the Wellness Center. Males and females of all ages are invited to participate.

The run/walk is being sponsored by the MSU Wellness Center. Wellness Center employee Lisa Rakowski is coordinating the event. For more information about the “Back Behind the Barn” 5K Run/Walk, contact Lisa at the Wellness Center. She can be reached at 701-788-5200 or WellnessCenter@mayvillestate.edu. To download the 5K run/walk registration form, go to www.mayvillestate.edu/farmersbowl5k.

This will be the 17th annual Farmers Bowl Auction. The first auction, held in 1997, raised more than $14,000. This amount has increased substantially over the years, as about $40,000 was taken in each year for several years. Last year topped them all, with the addition of “The BIG-4” reverse auction. A record of nearly $63,000 was generated through all Farmers Bowl activities, including a cash raffle that brought in around $10,000. The proceeds of the auction and other Farmers Bowl fund-raising activities are administered by the MSU Foundation for the benefit of Mayville State University and its students.

Donations are currently being accepted for the annual Farmers Bowl Auction. We have been blessed to have both generous item donors and item purchasers year after year. Suggested auction items include professional services, music/art lessons, theme baskets, dinner parties, dessert or appetizer parties, football game tickets, weekend getaways, birthday party packages, handmade items, restaurant gift certificates, and autographed memorabilia.

It is fun to see how creative auction item donors can be as they put together packages and items for the auction. Among the more than 200 items donated for last year’s Farmers Bowl Auction were Norwegian lunches for Thanksgiving and Christmas, an hors d’oeuvres party at the Top Hat, a hockey night in Grand Forks, The Blenders concert tickets, Get Loose on the Goose! Dinner party, and much, much more. If you’re interested in making a donation for the annual Farmers Bowl Auction, please contact the MSU Foundation at 701-788-4750 or alumni.mail@mayvillestate.edu.

Mark your calendar and plan to take part in all of the Farmers Bowl 2013 events. As already mentioned, the “Back Behind the Barn” 5K Run/Walk will begin at 8:00 a.m. A parade will begin downtown and make its way to the Mayville State campus beginning at 10:00 a.m. Immediately following the parade, there will be a free corn on the cob and hot dog feed held near Jerome Berg Field on the MSU campus. The Mayville state Comets will play Cole College beginning at 1:00 p.m. The auction event will begin with a social featuring an hors d’oeuvres buffet at the MSU Campus Center Luckasen Room at 5:00 p.m. Bidding on the silent auction will also begin at the time. The excitement of the live auction will be unleashed at 7:00 p.m.

Many thanks to all who have worked and continue to work to make Farmers Bowl a success year after year. We sincerely appreciate the tireless efforts of the many volunteers who make this event possible. Because of their hard work, hundreds of thousands of dollars have been raised for the benefit of countless students, not to mention the enjoyment realized by all who have had the opportunity to participate in the festivities.