Sunday, Faith Lutheran Church held its annual sweetheart dinner at the Becker Community Center. Proceeds from ticket sales went to support the Becker Faith Lutheran Youth Group. The students have worked hard all year to raise money for a mission trip to Portland, OR in July--from bagging groceries at Cub Foods to bussing tables at Pizza Ranch, and were happy to be able to participate in this event as well.

 

Besides the delicious turkey, potatoes (150 lbs. were peeled by volunteers!), and homemade sugar cookies (40 dozen total), there was also a silent auction, a raffle, an area for kids to color, and a photo booth opportunity. 

 

Ruth Johnson organized the silent auction by handling all the paperwork, setting up the baskets, and displaying all the items on the tables. John Deere products, handcrafted birdhouses and bag toss tables, wine baskets, Pebble Creek golf packages, tire and auto repair certificates, and more were donated by members and businesses of the community. 

 

Additionally, one lucky winner would be able to take $1,000 home if they won the raffle, which was coordinated by Marge Free.

 

“We start advertising for this dinner early each year by setting up ads with the newspaper and community center, because we want to invite as many people as possible and share the spirit of friendship with Becker,” said Event Coordinator, Debra Swanson. 

 

But it takes a lot of teamwork to set up an event like this, where it was expected that between 250 to 275 attendees would be present for the dinner, and Debra commented that she was grateful for the help she received from the Petersen and Halvorson families, who used to own a restaurant and catering business. 

 

Their experience with catering to large groups and managing the behind-the-scenes tasks made a huge impact.

 

Though there were many people from the church who came out to enjoy the amazing meal, there were also families who came together to just spend the afternoon together. 

 

Roger Wilke, in particular, sat with three generations of his family. His three children, his daughter-in-laws, his wife and grandkids were excited to be at the sweetheart dinner another year in a row and said the food is always good, especially the dressing. 

 

“We all live nearby so it’s not rare for us to be spending time as a family, but it’s always nice to find another chance to see each other,” Roger said. “My wife, Jan, and I have been married for 55 years. She is my sweetheart; she got her hair cut yesterday and looks like a brand new person.” 

 

Love was lingering in the air, and another couples shared what they like best about the sweetheart dinner.

 

“I think it’s a great way to eat a Thanksgiving dinner in February and go on a somewhat family-friendly Valentine’s Day date,” admitted Joe. Him and his wife Kristina have been married for eight years and were at the dinner with their two daughters. The couple next to them, Amy and Wes, had been married for 5 ½ years and were also busy with their baby, Everett.

It seemed that Faith Lutheran Church gave many this year not only warm food but also the gift of time with loved ones and spouses.