Serving up brats for a cause
Who can pass up a sizzling brat served straight from the grill?
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Apparently very few of us.
Brats are not only a Minnesota summer tradition, but they play a significant role in helping to fund many area nonprofit organizations.
Greg Kvale (left), Baxter, purchased a brat Friday outside Cub Foods in Baxter from Harrison Elementary School second-grader Zoe Dickens as the 6 1/2-year-old received assistance from Sarah Goodrow (left), a Harrison School educational assistant, and Lynn Hanske, a Harrison special education teacher. The group was raising funds Friday and Saturday to support Harrison School programs. Brainerd Dispatch/Jodie Tweed » Purchase reprints of this photo.
At least three area grocery stores, Super One Foods in Baxter and Cub Foods in Brainerd and Baxter, allow volunteers from a variety of organizations to sell brats each summer weekend, usually from Memorial Day through Labor Day weekend.
Brainerd VFW youth baseball team members, all high school freshman and sophomores, were serving up hot dogs and brats at Super One Foods Thursday through Saturday. A few players stood along Excelsior Road with signs, attempting to lure in passing motorists. Money raised was for VFW youth programs, including to pay umpires and for field usage for the summer baseball program.
"It's fun," Blaine Bubalo, 16, said, of selling brats. "And it's being outside and helping to raise money so we can still play."
Blake Thiesse (left), 15, and Dustin Borlaug, 15, members of the VFW baseball team, stood Friday afternoon along Excelsior Road in Baxter attempting to drum up more brat sales at Super One Foods to raise funds for VFW youth programs. Brainerd Dispatch/Jodie Tweed » Purchase reprints of this photo.
Bob Marsh, a VFW member and volunteer, served as chief grill-master for the crew Friday. He said they've sold brats for five years and it's been very successful for them.
"I enjoy this," said Marsh. "Just being outside and being around the people and the kids. By doing this and having the kids work it, it gives them the feeling they helped earn it. If it wouldn't be for companies like this, I don't think we'd have the team. It takes the community to make everything work."
Lloyd Warren, Super One Foods store manager, said the organizations pay for the products used out of their proceeds but the store supplies the grill and all the supplies to operate the outdoor brat stand. Cost is $2.25 for a brat and a pop and $1.50 for a hot dog and pop. They've got all but two weekends in August booked. He said they typically sell about 1,000 brats and hot dogs during a 3-day sale.
"It's good for the community and it's good for (store) sales," said Warren. "The people doing the sales themselves appreciate the opportunity to do it and customers sometimes plan their shopping trips knowing that there will be a nice lunch here."
Warren said their brat sales start around the fishing opener in mid-May and run through Labor Day weekend. Super One Foods hosts a company-wide brat sale one weekend each year for the Shriners, which this year raised nearly $3,000.
Cub Foods holds a drawing in mid-April to fill the weekend spots at both Brainerd and Baxter stores. Competition is stiff. There are about 26-28 spots available at each store and they receive double that in applications, said Bryan Jelinski, Brainerd Cub Foods store manager. Brat sales operate on Fridays and Saturdays from Memorial Day through Labor Day weekends, rain or shine unless there is severe weather. Cost is $2 for a brat and pop. Organizations receive half of that, or $1 per brat sale. The rest helps pay for the cost of the food.
Jelinski said the store has been hosting fundraising brat sales for the past 24 years. The stores furnish the grill, tables and supplies and an employee who serves as a gofer, who delivers more brats, buns and other supplies when needed.
"Brats are just another Minnesota tradition with summer. A lot of people start calling the first part of May, 'Are you having a brat sale?,'" Jelinski said with a laugh. "It was just something fun to do on a summer weekend to bring people into the store and it's turned into this monster that people really look forward to."
Paxie Imsdahl, customer services manager/bookkeeper for the Brainerd Cub Foods store, said groups take home on average about $550 for the weekend, more if there is good weather and they've been aggressive with their sales tactics.
"A lot of the same groups use it as an annual fundraiser and it's a lot less work than a school carnival," said Imsdahl.
Harrison Elementary School employees, their students and families sold brats to raise funds for their school Friday and Saturday at the Baxter Cub Foods store. Money raised was to be used for general expenses, such as for books and field trips.
"It's fun and Harrison gets the money," Zoe Dickens, 6, who will be a second-grader at Harrison school this fall, said of selling brats.
"Minnesotans can't resist a brat," said Zoe's mom, Michelle Dickens.
"This is my favorite Friday stop," Greg Kvale, Baxter, said as he stopped in at the Baxter store for a brat Friday. "I wouldn't miss it for the world. It's a good deal for the nonprofits. I wouldn't pass up a brat for a nonprofit organization."
JODIE TWEED may be reached at jodie.tweed@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5858.