AREA BRIEFS

ST. MATHIAS -- The 26th annual Northern Friends of the Orphans Fiesta will be Aug. 14 at St. Mathias Park.

Games, bingo, sweepstakes prizes, turkey dinner and silent auction will take place following an 11 a.m. Mass at St. Mathias Church.

Contact Joe and Phyllis DeRosier at 829-0422 by Monday for reservations. Tickets are $12.50 for adults, $4 for children ages 4-11 and free for children under 4.

Proceeds benefit the nine orphan homes of Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos in Latin America and the Caribbean. Area work groups have traveled to the orphan homes in Mexico, Guatemala and Haiti to perform building and repair projects, typically lasting seven to 10 days, and sometimes during the Thanksgiving or Easter holidays.

NPH celebrated its 50th anniversary with a celebration at the Mexico homes in February. More than 500 friends and supporters from the United States, Canada and Europe attended the festivities, which included a welcome ceremony of song and dance routines by the children, tours of the children's homes and a program honoring the achievements of Father Wasson and the entire NPH family.

The fiesta is sponsored by the Knights of Columbus and Friends of the Orphans. Contact the Friends office for details at (651) 482-1703, toll free at 1-877-797-7900 or via e-mail at infomn@friendsus.org.

Preregister for Orphan Train Riders' Reunion

LITTLE FALLS -- Preregistration is required by Aug. 12 for the 45th annual Orphan Train Riders' Reunion scheduled Aug. 26-27 at St. Francis Center in Little Falls. Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. Aug. 27, followed by a short business meeting at 9:30 a.m. Election of officers, group photos and interviews will be followed by visiting, sharing memorabilia and photos.

From 1854-1929, an estimated 250,000 children born in New York rode the Orphan Trains to find new homes throughout the United States.

For more information on the reunion, contact Sister Christelle Watercott at (320) 632-0695, or e-mail info@fslf.org.

Awards celebration sponsorships available

STAPLES -- The Staples Community Foundation announces that sponsorship opportunities will be available beginning Monday for its Community Awards Celebration.

The Community Awards Celebration will be Oct. 13 at T Maxwell's Restaurant.

Sponsorships are available for each of the award categories being given this year. The award sponsor will receive two free tickets to the awards celebration, present the award to the recipient at the event and have the opportunity to buy corporate tables at a reduced price.

The categories are: Citizen of the Year; Group, Organization or Business of the Year; Youth of the Year; The Duane R. Lund Award for Lifetime Achievement; and an Open Category.

Correspondence should be directed to the Staples Community Foundation, P.O. Box 101, Staples, MN 56479. Questions may be directed to Stan Carlson at (218) 894-1899.

Open house slated at Nisswa City Hall

NISSWA -- A dedication and open house will run 9 a.m.-noon Aug. 11 at the new city hall and police department in Nisswa.

The public is invited.