The 12th Annual Prairie Home Delights fundraiser at Anoka-Ramsey Community College (ARCC) brought together more than 300 community members for an evening of camaraderie and netted more than $17,000 toward student scholarships.

The gala event, hosted by the Coon Rapids Campus Foundation, featured silent and live auctions of items donated by 175 local businesses and individuals. The live auction alone, a new feature of this year’s event, netted $2,680 for five high-value items. In addition, 13 area food establishments donated a delectable array of appetizers and desserts for attendees. Event sponsor Wells Fargo contributed underwriting funds for the event.

A guest logs her bid for a silent auction item at Anoka-Ramsey Community College’s Prairie Home Delights scholarship fundraiser on the Coon Rapids Campus. The event raised $17,400 toward student scholarships.

Special guests for the evening included 35 retired faculty and staff as well as family members of former Foundation board member John Weaver, who passed away last winter. The event’s theme, “Memories Are Made of This,” paid tribute to Weaver and highlighted the college’s 40th anniversary celebration.

“We are so appreciative of the support provided by area individuals and businesses to make this important fundraiser a success," says Evelyn Gedde, Executive Director of the Coon Rapids Campus Foundation and ARCC Director of Institutional Advancement. “The impact scholarships can provide our students is immeasurable.”

For more information about the Coon Rapids Campus Foundation, 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.