A lovely night at a fundraising event

I’ve had a busy few days. It started with an evening fundraiser event for the Camp Fire Minnesota organization which creates wonderful camping experiences for kids. The event took place at the local camp, which was traditionally called Camp Tanadoona. My kids all attended the camp when they were young, and my son was a camp counselor there for a few summers.

The evening actually started just a bit early because I was mistaken about the start time. My friend and I realized we were going to be an hour early, so we stopped at an outdoor café for a glass of wine on the way.

Then, we had to mind ourselves because we got to the event and there was an open bar! Well, of course we accepted a complementary glass of wine, because who turns that down? (I knew it would be a few hours before I had to drive!)

Fortunately, there was all kinds of free food as well. Our first course was shish kebabs of meatballs with veggies, and another with pickled veggies and cheese curds — a Minnesota favorite.

If you have never had cheese curds, you have missed out. They are slightly chewy chunks of a savory cheese that is just wonderfully fun to eat. In Minnesota, you'll find bags of them in the delicatessens and cheese shops, and they are offered at various sports bars, breaded and deep fried (which is so much more delicious than it sounds), for those who are not overly concerned about their heart health.

The event was catered, and there were young servers in smart uniforms wandering around with baskets and platters of paper-wrapped bacon and various other appetizers. Of course we accepted the bacon. I had never had bacon served in such an unusual way before!

Our next course was Tater Tot casserole, which was served in tiny cups with tiny spoons. I was very glad of this, because I've been watching my weight and let's just say it was a good thing that they did not offer this delicious little hot dish in an unlimited supply.

Tater Tot casserole is another Minnesota favorite that comes in many different varieties. For example, when my kids are home for a special occasion like Easter or Christmas, I will often make their favorite, which is Tater Tots baked with eggs, ham and cheese.

This particular version was basically a delicious and savory creamy wild rice soup with some baked Tater Tots set into it. This worked really well because the tots were crispy.

Our final course was an interesting concoction called a "chicken waffle." It was a slice of a sweet maple waffle with a tiny slab of breaded, deep-fried chicken impaled upon it with a little skewer. I believe there was a drizzle of maple syrup on top of that, as it was a little bit sweet and sticky.

And I have to say, it was interesting, delicious and strange. While I do like the combination of salty and sweet, and it was a very nice treat, I definitely wouldn't want to make a steady diet of that fare!

We ran into several friends at the event. Here you can see what the grounds looked like, with festive lights. In the background, you can see people milling about and looking at a number of different special items that were being auctioned as part of the fundraiser.

After an hour with wine and food, they called us all in to a central room, which was beautifully outfitted in a rustic style befitting the camp. The organizers gave several presentations, which of course included video clips of kids expressing how much they love the camp, and how much they learned and experienced. It was all very well done.

And then they held the live auction, designed of course to get us to open our wallets, and we did. It was all done so beautifully, and if you believe in great services and opportunities for kids, like I do, you can see why it's so important to support their experiences in the arts and the outdoors.

It was a very fun and festive occasion, for a treasured local chapter of a global organization that offers such wonderful programs. I was really happy to be a part of it.

Thanks for visiting!

Photo credits: All of the photos in this post were taken by me and belong to me, unless otherwise noted.

My bio: I am a fiction writer and photographer based in Minnesota. I have had a lifelong love of fiction writing. I earned my MFA in writing from the University of New Hampshire. My short stories have appeared in a range of literary journals and anthologies, and my first short story collection, Somewhere in Minnesota is available on Amazon US as well as international Amazon sites., Barnes & Noble or from the publisher.

Want to know what I'm publishing and where? Visit my website, www.jaynalocke.com, or follow me on X, aka Twitter, at www.twitter.com/@jaynatweets or on Instagram at www.instagram.com/authorjaynalocke.

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