Eden Valley-Watkins Hosts Third Annual Glory Days Festival to Fund Sports Complex

(KNSI) – The Eden Valley-Watkins School District is holding its third annual Glory Days Festival, a grassroots fundraiser to build a sports complex.

Co-fundraising host Christy Kipf explained to KNSI News that their athletes deserve to have a place of their own. “Eden Valley-Watkins is one of three schools in Minnesota that does not own its football field. It’s actually a baseball field. And they have a football field off of it. We also co-op with Kimball for our track team. So, our track team gets bused to Kimball.”

The goal is to have a football field for Friday night lights and a track field that the team can practice on, and the community can hold 5Ks or other events.

A referendum to build a sports complex didn’t pass, and Kipf says they hold Glory Days now to avoid passing the cost on to already burdened landowners. “Large schools have a better chance of passing referendums. Because our school is small and it’s a farming community, you can’t go and put a tax referendum out there for farmers to have to pay more taxes on. I mean, they shouldn’t be forced to pay for it. That means we’ve got to work a little harder.”

Over the last two years, the event has brought in around $185,000. Organizers expect it will take at least five more years before they will raise the estimated $3 million needed to break ground.

Glory Days is Saturday, June 8th, from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. at Cozy Corners Campground off Long Lake near Richmond. Events include food vendors, a kids’ area, live music, a beanbag tournament, bingo, and a silent and live auction.

Find out more by clicking here.

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