Heartfelt Gratitude from Friends of the Mill District
Saturday, October 26, 2019 at 8:33AMArticle by Claudia Kittock, photos by Ryan Ojard
Oh, what a night!
If you missed an Evening with the Steeles on October 17th, you missed a great party. The evening was a fundraiser for the Friends of the Mill District and it was a neighbor party. Incredible food donated by neighborhood restaurants comprised the Taste of Mill District element of the event. Partipicating restaurants included Smith and Porter, Keefer Court, Afro Deli, Trader Joe's, Umbra, Bacon Social House, Wasabi Fusion, Crooked Pint, Conexion at Open Book and Pog Mahones. Not only was there an amazing amount of food, it was all delicious. Our community stepped up in a huge way to support this event and we are so very grateful to each and every restaurant.
Board member, Coach Jennifer Weber, recruited and brought a group of young people from the Cedar Riverside community to work the event as volunteers. They were incredible! When you checked in, you were greeted by one of the young people, and given directions to the food and cash bar. During the ‘ask’ this youth were instrumental in passing out and collecting donation envelopes. However, the best part of the evening was watching them dance, and dance they did.
Jevetta Steele gave an impassioned speech directed to these amazing young people, exhorting them to act like "the kings and queens they are" and to "stand on our shoulders so that they can change the world." It was an emotional and wonderful moment.
The music was pure Steele magic. We were treated to gospel music, jazz, Gershwin, music written by the group, and so many other genres. This family of singers are incredible musicians, and even better people. Every song is filled with the heart and soul of this amazing group.
The board of the Friends of the Mill District, David Tinjum, Chris Bray, Ken Searl, Cynthia Froid, Jennifer Weber, Jan Mershon and Claudia Kittock, are so grateful to each and every one of you who support our work. Our mantra is that we are stronger together, and it was obvious at the fundraiser. We are blessed by every part of the community, from the Mill City Museum who were amazing hosts, to D’Amico who were responsible for the bar, to each restaurant who donated the fabulous food, to the young people who worked so hard, to the Guthrie who hosts the rehearsals for the Mill City Singers, and to the amazing Steeles for an evening of unforgettable music.
The Friends are hoping to make this an annual event. If you missed it, make sure you don’t next year. If you came, you will want to get your tickets early. It is never too late to become part of the Friends by sending donations to Claudia Kittock, 1240 S 2nd Street, Unit 1132, Minneapolis, MN 55415. Please make checks payable to Friends of the Mill District.
100% of the proceeds from this fundraiser will be used to fund the Mill City Singers. The Singers are open to all and free of charge. Rehearsals are held in the Guthrie Theater on Saturdays from 2:00-3:30 pm, with the Guthrie donating the rehearsal space. We are so blessed by our community!
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About Claudia Kittock
