MARL Class VII and Alumni Make It Happen

Donna Boonstra and Glenn Groth welcome guests and share
their MARL Class VII experience at the MARL Leadership
Banquet-Rochester.

Kudos to MARL Class VII and the MARL Alumni for coming together to make the MARL Leadership Seminar and Banquet-Rochester a great experience. Often class participants mention that interacting with MARL Alumni really enhances the MARL experience for them. The MARL Alumni came through nicely at the Rochester Seminar. Alumni Steve and Linda Fruechte donated bison rib-eye steaks produced on their farm for the banquet meal. MARL Board Chair Jim Checkel paid for Class VII's and guest's meals at the Hubbell House.

Alumni Ron Pagel and Colleen Moe were emcees at the banquet where ninety six people attended including the Mayor of Rochester and the President of Riverland Community College. Alumni Ralph and Mena Kaehler helped arrange tours/speakers for the class and served as bus tour guides. Alumnus Shelly DePestel gave a tour of her family's dairy operation.

MARL Class VII also pitched in to make good things happen. Janet Kubat-Willette helped set up a tour of the Rochester Post Bulletin/Agri News printing presses and production department. Donna Boonstra and Glenn Groth welcomed banquet guests and shared class experiences with them. Dianne Bettin and Chelsea Russell worked with their classmates, Alumni Rick Smith and others to have a fundraising auction. This fun, after banquet tradition started by Class VI raised $2,500 for MARL. Class VII will use $1,500 of the proceeds to purchase treasures in Ecuador for their post-graduation auction on March 28 in Chaska. Class VII generously donated $1,000 of the total to the Curt Watson - MARL Endowment. Class VII's contribution added to the proceeds generated by the work of Jim O'Connor, Rick Smith, Jim Checkel and board member Ruth Meirick during the banquet to bring the endowment total to nearly $21,000.

For sure the MARL Alumni in the Windom area are gearing up to be involved in the MARL Leadership Banquet-Windom scheduled for January 23, 2014. You are invited, so mark your calendar now.

Click here to: Contribute to End of Year MARL Appeal. December 31, 2013 is the deadline for 2013 tax deductions.


Class VII Participant Joan Lee (far right) enjoyed learning about
her international study destination, Ecuador, from Mayo Clinic
Dr. Andres Acosta-Cardenasand his wife Soledad.