Plenty of community members showed up for Sanford Health’s 25th annual Taco Fest fundraiser on Tuesday. Volunteers anticipated serving over 3,000 people, kicking off not only Bemidji’s Dragon Boat Festival celebrations but a successful fundraiser as well.

For three years, Sanford Health has partnered with the United Way of Bemidji area for this fundraiser. Proceeds will go toward the United Way’s annual campaign, which helps other local non-profits in the Bemidji area.

“You look back a few years prior, you know, we maybe had 1,500 to 2,000 [people] so it continues to just keep growing, and people come down and they get to-go orders and take it back to friends and family and so it just gets a little bit bigger every year,” said Sanford Health Community Relations representative Kayla Winkler.

“I think it’s amazing. I think I see that every day at the United Way how much people care,” said United Way of Bemidji Area executive director Denae Alamano. “People come in there because they want to do something good for the community, and I’m just grateful to have the job I have.”

Just as the funds raised will help other non-profits, the United Way is also seeing community members give back to the organization. One Taco Fest volunteer was a former Red Pine Estates resident, who had to vacate the apartment building after it was closed due to concerns over its structural safety.

“We’ve been staying in a motel, most of us, and we’ve been provided meals twice a day through the United Way and other community organizations,” explained volunteer John Kloesel. “I feel that this was a day today that I can come back and give to the community and give to the United Way for my thanks for what they’ve done for me, and for the community.”

The next community event at the Lake Bemidji Dragon Boat Festival is the cornhole tournament on Thursday, August 3 at 6:30 p.m.

By — Lakeland News