We are thankful for all those that made the annual Spring Spree Banquet a success this year. On Saturday March 16^th, we celebrated the success of the outreach ministry and shared with our volunteers and supporters.

A special thank you and shout out to our event sponsors:

• Bremer Bank – Elite
• CFS Flooring and Interiors – Elite
• La Vina de Burnsville – Premier
• South Metro Vineyard Church – Partner

We had a great evening!

We feasted on a “Latino Explosion of Flavors” especially prepared by Chef David Aguilera. This meal featured Beef Barbacoa and Pork Carnitas accompanied by Rice and Beans with Corn Tortillas, Sweet Plantains and sides of salsas to your taste… Wow!  It was mouth watering!

Dinner was followed by entertainment by the La Vina Worship Band playing contemporary music and worship songs. Following the band was several local artists including Tori Geraty, Abbey Terrell, Erin Lindberg and Tina Terrell. Erin entertained using a violin that brought tears and smiles to our faces.

The silent auction was a big hit with 98 auction items available to the crowd. The format was laid out in the lobby of the venue at South Metro Vineyard Church.

The message was provided by La Vina Pastor Miguel Aviles speaking on compassion and the need to love our neighbors. I enjoyed the testimony by Andrew who described his experience at the Fruit of the Vine food shelf as both a neighbor using the resources and as a volunteer doing intake. He was giving back to the ministry that showed him love and acceptance when his family first moved to Minnesota.

The fund-raising event was a tremendous success as we achieved our financial and appreciation goals raising over $10K.

Many people stayed late talking about the organization and their mission. Then I noticed that suddenly half the people started taking everything down and putting things away while having fun and enjoying themselves. Impressive!