y e F ol
BENTON COUNTY NEWS | TUESDAY, JUNE 14, 2022| Page 1B
FU N
s y Da
om c . s ew n o A sup c n nto e plement b . w w to the Benton County News | w
chedule SOF EVENTS Foley Fun Days June 20-22
- brought to you by the Foley Civic Group Inc. -
FRIDAY, JUNE 17 Varied hours ....................... City-wide Garage Sales. 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ............................13th annual Friends of the Foley Library Book Sale. Foley City Hall. 5-6 p.m. ...........................................TaikoArts Midwest. Movement-infused, heart-pounding, dynamic group drumming. Foley Public Library.
SATURDAY, JUNE 18 Varied hours ....................... City-wide Garage Sales. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. ...........................13th annual Friends of the Foley Library Book Sale. Foley City Hall. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. .............. Kids Bicycle Safety Rodeo. For ages 10 and under. Foley Lions Park. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. ............................. Foley Market Day. Showcasing local talent. Handmade and handgrown items. Foley Hardware Company. 6 p.m. ........................ Foley Ambassador Coronation. See the crowning of the 2022 ambassadors, junior ambassadors, Little Miss Foley and Little Foley Princess. Foley High School auditorium.
SUNDAY, JUNE 19 2:30-3:30 p.m............................... Lemonade Fun Days Musical Concert. Music by church and community members. Lemonade and sweet treats. Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Church.
MONDAY, JUNE 20
2 p.m. ................................................ 500 Card Games. American Legion Post 298. 6 p.m. ....................................... Fun Days 5K Run/Walk. Registration begins at 4:30 p.m. in front of Mille Lacs Vet Clinic. Pre-register at Falcon National Bank-Foley or at runsignup.com/race/mn/foley/ foleyfundays5k. Call 320-968-6300 for more details. Award ceremony following event with prizes going to the top male and top female in each of the 12 age groups. Additional prizes will be awarded to the top three overall males and females. Results posted by Pickle Events at Falcon National Bank’s lobby and website. 6 p.m. ......................................MCM’s Midway Opens. 10 p.m. .....................................MCM’s Midway Closes.
Schedule page 3B
Foley Fun Days Buttons
r a p s y a in Foley Fun D Civic group picks longtime school board member BY JAKOB KOUNKEL STAFF WRITER
In choosing a grand marshal for the Foley Fun Days parade, the Foley Civic Group was looking for somebody who exemplifies what it means to be a member of the Foley community. They were looking for a leader who embodies the meaning of community service and has an admirable harmony with the members of their community. When Sharon Kipka’s name emerged as a possibility, there was no question she was deserving of the honor to serve as the Foley Fun Days parade grand marshal. Earlier this year, Kipka was also selected as an allstate school board member byy the Minnesota School Boards oards Association. “I look for magic inn our wonderful, rural community,” Kipka said. “I’m honored and humbled to have been selected.” Juanita Beauchamp is a member of the Foley Civic Group which organizes Foley Fun Days. She said there were many suggestions that Kipka serve as grandd marshal in 2022. One of the things that stuck out to the civic group was that Kipka often sends letters to high achievers in Foley for personal or community accomplishments. “We wanted somebody who has great leadership, community service and a great rapport with the community,” Beauchamp said. “(Kipka) is exactly that person.” Kipka has served on the Foley School Board for more than 22 years, and she is known for being an astute and experienced board member with great acumen for schoolrelated decisions. She is a volunteer for Community Action Respecting Elders, a Foley nonprofit focused on helping elderly in the area stay in their homes, and she is a member of the Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Gilman.
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Sharon Kipka serves Gabe Gross his first meal of the day June 6 at the Foley Intermediate School cafeteria as part of the summer meal program in Foley. Kipka said one of her favorite places to help is in the kitchen at Foley schools.
ar
Sh
7:30 a.m. ..................................Medallion Hunt begins. Clues posted each day at Foley City Hall at 7:30 a.m. Find the medallion and bring it to city hall for a $100 prize.
a m d n a r g s Kipka to serve a ade
l a rsh
on
Kip k a
In everything she does, Kipka works diligently to ensure the community is better today than it was the day before and better tomorrow than it is today. For the long-serving member of the Foley School Board, that often means starting at the foundation of what makes a community great: A reliable school system and an immense focus on children. “I don’t do anything tre-
mendous,” Kipka said. “It’s jjust about being there for things that matter … I just think it should be relationship ships and people first. All pe people, but definitely the sstudents.” As parents with students in the Foley School District know, Kipka is seemingly everywhere. She hands out programs at the school play, helps the sschool kitchen staff durin ing the summer meal progra gram, can be seen at sporting aactivities, and is always well-p well-prepared and in attendance at school board meetings. Not only is she there for students and the community, but she is also enthusiastic and jubilant wherever she goes. She expresses and stresses the importance of a thriving community and is working to make Foley a better place for everybody. “This is my community, and I want to see it thrive,” Kipka said. “The people here are good, and they look after one another. And, if some-
body’s hurting, they help them. That’s where I get it from.” Kipka was born and raised in the Foley community. It is from her time spent in and around Foley that has cemented the person she is today, Kipka said. In other words, the many things that make the Foley community great – a strong work ethic and a focus on community, family and faith – are the same things that molded Kipka’s character to this day. “I love this rural community,” Kipka said. “It makes my heart sing.” As Kipka prepares for the Foley Fun Days parade, she offered a piece of advice to those in the community. “Right now, our world is filled with a lot of sadness and heartbreak, and as 2022 grand marshal, I’d like you to take your child or grandchild’s hand, forget about the complications of life and celebrate summer,” Kipka said. “Make an effort to support your local (Foley) Fun Days vendors, look for the joy and good right here in your wonderful, rural community of Foley.”
$2
2022 Foley Fun Days commemorative buttons are available for purchase at Foley City Hall, Brenny’s Oil, Coborn’s, Frandsen Bank & Trust, Falcon National Bank and through ambassador candidates and Foley Civic Group members. The numbered buttons are entered into a drawing for a cash prize. Numbers are drawn for bonus prizes each evening during events.
Foley Fun Days Medallion Hunt
Clues to find the Foley Fun Days Medallion will be posted at 7:30 a.m. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at Foley City Hall. The first person or group to find the medallion and return it to city hall will win a $100 prize.
PHOTO BY JAKOB KOUNKEL
Sharon Kipka congratulates a Foley student as she hands her a diploma June 4 at the Foley High School graduation ceremony in Foley. Kipka was selected as the 2022 Foley Fun Days parade grand marshal.