Two months out But prior to the
riders taking off on the 40-mile course, the community had another chance to gather and give. It was also the day of the Rock
County Championship Chili Cook-off at Shar-
Last winter’s Community Snowmobile Fun Ride, hosted by Grace Lutheran Church, Luverne, Minn., raised money for local hunger causes. The ride was paired with a chili cook-off for youth mission trips, including the 2015 ELCA Youth Gathering.
A profitable pairing
Chili & snowmobiling L
eave it to seventh- and eighth-graders for a great idea. Because of their concern for the hungry, Grace Lutheran Church, Luverne, Minn., hosted the Community Snow-
mobile Fun Ride last February and will do so again this year (Feb. 8, provided there is enough snow). The idea was hatched when Daniel Tofteland and Coy
Gonnerman were talking to their confirmation adult mentor, Don Dinger, who also happens to be an avid snowmobiler. “We were talking about kids who go hungry every day and
some weekends,” said Dinger (
don.dinger@gmail.com). “Both young men have snowmobiles and as we talked they came up with the ride-a-thon” idea for two local programs that address hunger. The idea had been in the works for some time, but last winter’s snowfall enabled it to become a reality. On Feb. 9, more than 30 snowmobilers of all ages partici-
pated. Teenagers from other congregations (or no church at all) rode with their friends and teammates; college students came home just for the event. Participants paid to ride and were encouraged to gather
pledges. Riders raised nearly $900, which was matched by a local organization. The $1,800 was split between the Rock County Community Food Shelf and the Luverne Back Pack Program that sends food home with students on weekends.
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www.thelutheran.org
kee’s, a sports bar, which was hosted by Grace and Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Hills.
A profitable pairing. In the wintery Midwest, snowmo-
biling and chili go together like hand in (snowmobile) glove. Proceeds went to youth mission trips, including the 2015 ELCA Youth Gathering. More than 200 people came for the all-you-can-eat chili, breads, desserts and drinks. There were 18 entries in the cook-off, not just from the
congregations. Four judges awarded prizes for heat, unique- ness and taste. The grand prize, the People’s Choice Award, was won by the contestant who collected the most in their tip jar. Tips were donated to the charity of each contestant’s choice.
Good one! Super Roll Sunday
Every January, East Union Lutheran Church, Carver, Minn., collects toilet paper for the local food shelf. Legally, the food shelf can’t spend money it receives on anything but food, so it needs donated toilet paper.
At the conclusion of the monthlong “Charmin
for the Shelf” drive, members tally it on Super Roll Sunday (a.k.a. Super Bowl Sunday, this year Feb. 1). In 2014, they set a record by collecting 900 rolls.
Send congregational stories—both those for a specifi c month/holiday or your best timeless idea—to
julie.sevig@
thelutheran.org.
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