Jerrid Sebesta — former KARE11 meteorologist — was the keynote speaker at last weekend’s back-to-back Great River Faith In Action (GRAFIA) Gala events.
Friday, the gala was held at the Crown Room Banquet Center in Rogers. Saturday, the event was held at Coyote Moon in St. Cloud. Sebesta spoke at both venues that began with a reception at 5:30 p.m. followed by a dinner at 6 p.m. and the featured program at 7 p.m.
The theme of both events was “Dreams and Destinations” and featured a “Hawaiian” motif. Sebesta was called upon to share his own story about chasing his dreams and encourage others to do the same.
Sebesta is currently a financial advisor/educator and speaker for Taatjes Financial Group in Willmar, MN.
Both events included elegant meals and decor and — along with Sebesta’s testimony — featured live and silent auctions to raise money for the GRAFIA organization.
It was GRAFIA’S ninth annual event. Denice Freih of Becker is the organization’s executive director and founder.
What Took Place
Friday in Rogers, 14 tables were decorated in opulence while the room featured a mammoth fireplace on the back wall and a long, “L-shaped” table with 34 silent auction items and sign-up sheets. Some of the items up for auction were a clock/calendar from Stony Hill Gifts, a family fun basket of DVDs, candy, a board game and puzzle from the Rogers Theater, a “fun in the garden” basket of bird seed, a birdhouse, gardener’s gloves and a planter from Dominoes Pizza, Friends of the FIA and Nelson’s Nursery.
Bob and Tara Hurt of Becker’s Firebuggz company donated a Firebuggz grill and snackle box for the auction as well as a family fun pack and goggles.
David Hyttsten of David’s Photography in Monticello donated a photography session as one of the silent auction prizes.
Mel Beaudry and his wife, Jeanette — longtime friends of GRAFIA — donated a historic Handke art picture (valued at $400) for the auction.
Josh Stoll, Denice Freih’s son, was the live auction auctioneer. He encouraged the guests to donate what they could to help GRAFIA’s programs such as, Live Well at Home, We Care, Assisted Transportation, The Bridging Project, their Everyday Blessings Boutiques and the many support groups the organization provides.
Featured Speaker
Sebesta, a 12-year employee at KARE11 news station, didn’t waste time working his energy and excitement into the crowd. He broke the ice by telling a few jokes and getting people up to speed on what he’s been up to lately.
“Usually, when you invite a meteorologist to an event, you can pretty much expect to get 21” of snow,” said Sebesta, on an evening when the temperatures were in the 40’s. “So give the weather a great hand.”
Sebesta was very funny with his discourse and engaged the audience with his mercurial banter. He shared his contempt (in jest) for people who tell him, “I wish I could be a TV weatherman and be wrong most of the time while still getting paid.”
Sebesta told his listeners Friday night that in May of 2014 when he was 34-years-old and weeks away from getting a new contract with the news station when he and his wife decided to walk away from the whole thing.
“I decided I wanted to spend more time with my family and slow the pace down in my life,” he said.”It’s hard to explain, but we were being called back to South Dakota.”
Born and raised in Montevideo, Sebesta said most of their family and friends live in southwestern Minnesota and in eastern South Dakota. Sebesta met his wife, Emily, in Sioux Falls and they got married and have since been raising two young children, Beckham and Raiya.
“When my general manager at KARE11 asked me why I was leaving at the start of a promising career, I told him, as great as all this is, I was being taken away from my family and my career was taking over my life.”
Jerrid explained that sometimes people get their “call” to serve God and fail to act because of their jobs, their families and their finances. He claims he has the best way for people to get prepare for their calling and be able to do all of what God calls them to do when the opportunity arises.
“What does God want for you?” Jerrid asked the crowd. “How does he want you to use your talents and expand his kingdom?"
Sebesta said he re-evaluated his talents and skillset and came to the understanding his skill is talking.
“That’s what led me to meteorology in the first place,” he said.
Sebesta said one of the problems people face when trying to fall a call from God is their extreme debt.
“Seventy percent of people live paycheck-to-paycheck,” Sebesta said. “How are you to serve if you are drowning in debt?”
Sebesta then outlined five principles he’s discovered to get people financially secure and not living paycheck-to-paycheck. He also pointed out they are not newly-discovered concepts and pretty easy to follow.
“One, you need to be out of debt — plain and simple,” he said. “Next, you need to start saving money and live on less than you make. Another important thing to do is budget your money and watch your spending. But the icing on the cake is learning to give.”
Sebesta pointed to a passage in Scripture where Zacchaeus the Tax Collector (who was very wealthy) stopped to see who his Jesus was. He climbed a fig tree to see the Man and when Jesus came near, he called Zacchaeus down from the tree immediately.
Sebesta said “Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, ‘Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.’”
And Jesus responded with, “Today salvation has come to this house.”
“We need to use our time, talents and treasures to aid the people who are closest to God’s heart,” said Jerrid. “And who are they? The poor, the elderly, the handicapped, the widows and all the people who can’t help themselves.”
Sebesta closed his remarks by saying, “Wouldn’t it be great then to hear God say to you, ‘Well done my good and faithful servant?’”
More than 200 people attended the two-day gala event which raised over $40,000. GRAFIA’s next fundraiser event is their annual 5k run/walk May 7. They also plan to hold a golf tournament in August and hold their second annual Tinsel Ball event Nov. 19.
