A super time at Winterfest

It may have been a bitterly cold start to the day this past Sunday, Jan. 29, but it was a great day for the Sacred Heart Catholic community as it celebrated its second annual Winterfest at the Mill.

For only $10, an estimated 250 people enjoyed a hearty breakfast of pancakes, bacon, and sausage between 8 and 11:30 a.m. It was such a success, the servers ran out of food minutes before breakfast was supposed to end. Nearly 100 more enjoyed a few rounds of bingo. The early birds showed up at noon before Super Bingo followed an hour later. In addition to those activities, Winterfest includes a raffle.

“We had about 200 people come last year,” Superintendent Chris Dahle said. “This year, it was well-attended again. We had a lot of people sign up for the raffle”

The event was put on by Sacred Heart Catholic School to raise money for the district. “We decided to put this event together after Covid,” Kellie Moseley, one of the event’s organizers, explained. “At that time, things were just starting to get back to normal. We wanted to give people something fun to do after nearly two years of Covid canceling and postponing events.”

Last year the event raised more than $7,000, a total they expect to be similar once the final tally is tallied.

The event also gives the district a way to celebrate Catholic Schools Week, which was Jan. 29 to February 3. According to the National Catholic Educational Association, “Schools typically observe the week with Masses, assemblies and other activities for students, families, parishioners and community members to celebrate.”

“We have plenty of activities planned for the students this week,” Dahle said with delight. “We plan to take them sledding on Thursday, for example.”

All proceeds for the event will go to Sacred Heart Catholic School to purchase school supplies and fund projects for the district. “We are very thankful for everyone coming out,” Dahle said. “We have a great community here in Waseca, and we hope this event continues to grow.”