Ribs and Pie Fundraiser to Benefit Youth Athletes

Youth 1st in Owatonna is teaming up with Cash Wise Foods to raise money for the Owatonna Parks and Recreation Youth Scholarship Fund during Give to the Max MN Day. From 11 am to 7 pm on Thursday, November 19 full racks of ribs and fresh-baked pies will be available at Cash Wise.

Cash Wise is also offering a ten-cent per gallon discount per item purchased at their on-site fuel center to More Rewards members. Ribs are $12 and pies $6. Youth 1st hosts a ribs fundraiser at least a couple of times a year there. Mark Arjes of Youth 1st says people can also make additional donations to the park and rec youth scholarship fund through ipads they will have on site at Cash Wise. There will be some other prize drawings as well.

Arjes says Youth 1st works to "our focus is emphasizing conduct, character, and community in youth activity programs...In and around Steele County it's been just a great experience. We've worked with Owatonna Parks and Recreation on all of their programs. And I think what's happened is we've grown a new appreciation about what youth sports is about."

"It's about development and who the kids become through the process of playing sports, not so much focused on the wins and losses."

Arjes says Youth 1st is handling some things a bit differently in 2020, "We've focused a lot on providing our packages of material and messaging up front for teams and not waiting to recognize them all at the end, and continuing to have some online video messaging, and still doing some recognition pieces at the end."