Prairie Home Delights fundraiser promises food, fun and fabulous fare.

Auction hunters and fine food lovers will once again have a chance to mingle and help raise money for Anoka-Ramsey Community College (ARCC) at the upcoming Prairie Home Delights event.

Scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 29, this 12th annual fundraiser sponsored by the ARCC Coon Rapids Campus Foundation will feature the theme “Memories Are Made of This.” The theme pays tribute to John Weaver, a Foundation Board member and long-time friend of Anoka-Ramsey Community College (ARCC) who passed away this past winter. It also highlights the college’s ongoing 40th anniversary celebration.

In keeping with John Weaver's penchant for calling meetings at odd times (to make them easier to remember) this year's event will go from 6:29 p.m. to 8:29 p.m. The gala evening will offer oodles of appetizers and desserts, as well as a chance to acquire more than 150 choice goods and services, all provided by area businesses.

In past years, the donated items were accessible only through a silent auction. This year, a live auction will be added to allow attendees to bid on a few high-value items, including a Reason Technologies personal computer valued at more than $1,000, a week’s stay at one of Solara Resorts’ beautiful vacation properties, and a fountain to enhance one's garden.

A silent auction winner carries home her windfall at the 2004 Prairie Home Delights scholarship fundraiser on the Coon Rapids Campus of Anoka-Ramsey Community College.

This year's event sponsor is Wells Fargo. Anoka-Ramsey Community College students will provide live music and other volunteer assistance for the event. Guests will have the opportunity to enjoy stunning views of the Mississippi River at sunset and the moonlit night sky during the evening’s festivities.

Appetizers and desserts will be supplied by area restaurants, including: Bennigans, Biaggi's Ristorante Italiano, Majestic Oaks, Acapulco Mexican Restaurant, Billy’s Bar & Grill, Tanner's Woodfire Grill, Tanner’s Steakhouse, Jensen's Catering, Blackwood's, Pizza Pub, Serum's Emporium, Morrison's and more.

Tickets are $25 per person. Proceeds from the fundraiser will help provide scholarships for students, grants for faculty seeking to enhance the classroom experience, and new equipment for the college. To purchase tickets in advance, call 763-422-3329.

ABOUT ANOKA-RAMSEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Anoka-Ramsey Community College, with campuses in Cambridge and Coon Rapids, has been a leading provider of higher education and training in East Central Minnesota since 1978 and the north suburban area of Minneapolis/St. Paul since 1965. Annually, the college serves more than 9,700 learners of all ages as they pursue associate degrees that transfer as the first two years of a bachelor's degree, or certificate programs that lead immediately to rewarding careers. ARCC is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System.