Pathways Palooza raises over $26K
Huxley and Rylan Blum get instructions about the kids’ scavenger hunt from Casey Bakewell (left) as their mom, Kristi Blum, looks on. Staff photo by Jonny Clubb
Community Pathways’ signature fundraiser, Pathways Palooza, returned to the Steele County Free Fair's Beer Garden Saturday, and hundreds showed up to support on a beautiful July evening.
Community Pathways serves north of 1,000 area families each week, and Pathways Palooza is the organization biggest fundraiser of the year. The event has been going on for a few years and has continued to see growth each year.
“Every year has been a little bit bigger and a little bit better,” said Executive Director Dom Korbel.
He said that the event had 27 sponsors, up from 20 last year, and the cash raffle sold over 400 tickets, which is up significantly from 2023.
Pathways Palooza also auctioned off 38 packages that were donated by a wide range of supporters. Donations came in from organizations across the state including the Minnesota State Fair, Minnesota Zoo, Mystic Lake Casino, and more.
“We sent letters out saying…how can you help us, and everybody responded,” Korbel said. “It’s been fantastic.”
Donations also came in from the Minnesota Twins, Wild, Vikings, and Timberwolves with one of the items - an autographed Rudy Gobert jersey - arriving on the day of the Palooza.
If attendees were not bidding on their favorite items or entering the raffle, there were plenty of other things to do. Melissa Schulz played live music throughout the evening, and lawn games were available to play as well.
Meanwhile, the Twisted Chicken food truck made its way down from Faribault, the Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream Co. from Old Town Bagels served ice cream, and Foremost Brewing Cooperative served a variety of drinks, including the Pathways Pilsner.
According to Korbel, the Pathways Pilsner is brewed thanks to a joint effort by Foremost Brewing Cooperative and Mineral Springs Brewery
When all was said and done, over 225 people attended the 2024 Pathways Palooza, and the event raised over $26,000 to support the vital work of Community Pathways, which operates a food shelf, a second-hand shop, and connects people in need with other services.