Many of us have meaningful personal experiences with the Mississippi. On October 1, 2020 at Friends of the Mississippi River's first-ever virtual gala, we got to hear a few especially powerful river stories.
Thank you to the 450+ of you who listened to these stories.
We listened to stories that deepen and connect the layers of history and presence at Bdote, the confluence.
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We listened to a mother whose family found a sense of place in the river, and a place to grieve the impossible.
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We listened to a musician who toured the Mississippi by canoe to discover not only his muddy roots, but also his true love.
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We listened to a paddler who has never tipped her boat (no matter what her partner claims).
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And we told OUR stories about how we work to change the river, and how it has changed us in turn.
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Artists created river artwork — stories in another form
Susan Armington wove your love letters to the river into a giant painting called "Dreamsongs: the Mississippi Within Us" for our livestream backdrop and for our auction.
Jim Hudak, a photographer, told us he had the same view of the river for 20 years, but it never got old. Here are a few of his favorite sunset photos.
And together, we raised nearly $170,000 for the river.
THANK YOU
Our generous sponsors:
OAK SAVANNA
Steve & Susan Boren King • Stewart & Lesley Crosby • Chad & Maggie Dayton • Judson Dayton & Shelley Mydra-Dayton • Peter & Mary Gove • Art Kaemmer, M.D. • Julia Olmstead & Paul Helgeson • Thomas Reiter & Sharon Miyamoto • Paul & Mary Reyelts • Karen Sternal & Lowell Pickett • Susan Vento
BALD EAGLE
Frederick & Catherine Asher • Sharon & Terry Avent • Susan & Joel Barker • Ronnie & Roger Brooks • Whitney and Sarah Clark • Page & Jay Cowles • Ellie Crosby • Sara & Sean DeKok • Nancy Gibson & Ron Sternal • Dan Gjelten & Lisa Burke • Peter Goss & Karma Walker • Bud & Carol Hayden • Diane & John Herman • Hokan & Penny Miller • Ford & Catherine Nicholson • Susan Davis Price • Paul Ricker & Liz Robinson • John & Marsha Soucheray • Philip Willkie • Kate Wolford and Ed Reilly • Della & Will Young
BLUE HERON
Mary Adamski & Lance Ihinger • John Anfinson • Peter Bachman & Janet Rice • Steve Christenson & Lisa Hondros • Judy & Ozzie Enroth • Tessa Enroth & Michael Jones • Perry McGowan & Sheila Smith • Diane & Darryl Sannes • Kathleen Stack • Bob & Sandy Tilsen • Cathy Tobias • Deanna Wiener & Jim Tilsen
RIVER OTTER
Ellen Butler • Leslie Cohan & Todd Norsten • George Dunn & Donna Harris • Daniel Engstrom & Barbara Coffin • Sheila & Tim Gothmann • Ron Kroese & Kimberly Colburn • Phil Riveness • Harry & Ginny Sieben • Michael & Gretchen Sieben
Corporate Support
HEADWATERS
CONFLUENCE
TRIBUTARY
Native Resource Preservation
RIVER
Bremer Bank • Kraus-Anderson Insurance
Tom Reiter and Jim Hudak took the photos on this page; the first and fifth videos were produced by: Donnie Koshiol of River Street Creative + Tom Reiter of Afton Films, LLC + Will Stock; Rahn + Co. created our event illustration.