MSU President's Newspaper Column
August 6, 2022
Athletic team camps, much-anticipated events highlight fall excitement
The fall semester and all the excitement that surrounds it is fast-approaching! Comet Football players and staff reported to campus for pre-season camp on Aug. 1. Comet Volleyball players and coaches report to campus on Aug. 6. Before we know it, the campus will be buzzing with the return of all students, faculty, and staff. Classes begin August 22.
As is common practice, members of the community and Mayville State supporters are on deck, rolling out the red carpet and welcoming the students with open arms. On opening day, several members of the White Hat Club, boosters of Comet Football, grilled up burgers and brats and served a lunch meal for members of the football team and their families, along with coaches and their families. White Hat Club members Jeff and LeeAnn Strand very generously provided all the food. What a wonderful welcome for the new and returning Comets! Thank you to all who played a part in making this happen. It is a truly wonderful example of the kinds of good things that happen at “The School of Personal Service.”
Just a few weeks down the road, alumni and friends will be gathering for events that support Mayville State University and its students. The Comet Athletic Club Sportsmen’s Raffle event is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 10 at the Mayville Armory. Just a week later, on Saturday, Sept. 17, the annual Farmers Bowl festivities are planned.
This year marks the 16th annual Comet Athletic Club Sportsmen’s Raffle. The raffle is held to raise academic scholarships for the student athletes of Mayville State University. A total of 50 guns will be raffled. Ticket holders will have a one-in-ten chance of winning a gun and need not be present to win. Raffle tickets are on sale now for $100 each. More information is available from Comet Athletic Club board members and at the MSU Foundation, 701-788-4864.
Plans are also underway for the Mayville State University Farmers Bowl. The festivities will begin at 11:30 a.m. with a parade that will start out near the Goose River Bank on Main Street and make its way eastward through town, ending outside of Jerome Berg Field on the Mayville State campus.
Immediately following the parade, all are invited to enjoy the traditional corn on the cob and hot dog feed just outside the football field. Serving will continue until game time or until the food is gone. There is no charge for the meal, but freewill donations to help defray costs will be accepted.
A family fun festival will run in conjunction with the corn and hot dog feed. We’re super-excited to have Kenny and the Classics providing live music. In addition, there will be activities for kids, including bounce houses and face painting.
The Comets will host Presentation College in the Farmers Bowl football game. Kickoff will be at 2 p.m. I encourage everyone to come out and support the Comets in one of their seven home games scheduled for this season. They’ll be sporting their commemorative Farmers Bowl helmets featuring the wheat motif. The helmets were the first project of the White Hat Club a few years ago. They symbolize the beginning of re-energized backing of the football program and the impetus for alumni and friends to go all out in support of the team.
The Farmers Bowl Auction event is back this year! The auction will be the grand finale for the day-long Farmers Bowl celebration. We are thrilled that the much-loved event, featuring silent and live auctions, will be back after taking a break for a few years. The first Farmers Bowl Auction, held in 1997, generated more than $14,000. The success of the event grew steadily over time and generated more than $60,000 in some years.
Proceeds of the auction, together with all Farmers Bowl activities, are used to support Mayville State University students through the work of Comet Athletics, the MSU Alumni Association, and the MSU Foundation. Donations are currently being accepted for the auction. If you’re interested in making a contribution, you may contact the MSU Foundation staff at 701-788-4750 or alumni.mail@mayvillestate.edu.
Watch as all the Farmers Bowl 2022 details unfold at www.mayvillestate.edu/farmersbowl. We hope that you’ll join in the fun, enter a unit in the parade, attend the various events, and show your support for Mayville State University.