A hometown newspaper with a local office, local owners & lots of local news
A hometown newspaper with a local office, local owners & lots of local news
Emcee Shaun Williams and Del Prevost check the final coin toss in the Heads or Tails game as the final two contestants predict the winning result by placing their hands on their heads or tails.
The gang from Nu Luxe Salon in Cloquet get crazy with accessories at the free photo booth.
Cathy and Kaitlyn Rikkola play a game of Plinko.
Sue Modec reads the Pine Knot News wearing a hat made out of newspaper, while sitting at the table sponsored by the Knot. Each table at the Blue Jean Ball is sponsored by a different local business or organization. She was joined at the table by Ruth Janke and Neil Erickson (pictured separately), who posed in their printer's caps.
While it's a blast and there's plenty of swag at the Blue Jean Ball, the annual bash is about more than having a good time.
It's about the kids.
Cloquet Ed Foundation Board President Mike Owens explained that CEF was able to fund more than $70,000 in grant requests from Cloquet school teachers and others to give students opportunities that might not otherwise be possible if they depended on the school district for the money.
The money goes toward everything from field trips to the Twin Cities to watch a play or go to an art exhibit, to extracurriculars such as Science Fair and Destination Imagination, to resident artists who visit schools to share their talents.
"There are 2,700 students in Cloquet and over half of them are living in poverty. None of this would be possible without you," Owens told the crowd of close to 400 people gathered in the Otter Creek Event Center at Black Bear Casino & Resort Saturday, Feb. 2.
First-year Cloquet Superintendent Mike Cary called the Cloquet school district an "unbelievable community."
"All you have to do is look around this room," he said. "I hope you all appreciate that this does not happen everywhere. You should be proud. I'm blown away by this kind of community support."
Cloquet grad Maria (Lammi) Halcumb attended Saturday's Ball with her parents, Ted and Barb.
Halcumb said she found out Cloquet was just the right size when she went away to college.
"I felt so blessed when I left Cloquet because I was allowed to participate in so much," she said. "I did everything, any sport, theater, other extracurriculars. I was allowed to participate in things that I maybe wasn't super good at, but I had fun and I got to try it: have my moment of terror on stage, go to state in soccer and track."
CEF Director Jeanne Kermeen said this year's Blue Jean Ball raised more than $60,000 for the foundation.
