Happy leap year week! Speaking of upcoming events, here a few to help you meet your fellow North Dakotans:
- Beer and Bacon Bash on February 29 from 1pm – 5pm in downtown Cavalier. For $10, you get a beer mug, a map, and punch cards for door prizes and a poker run entry.
- The 58th Annual Feast of Nations on March 7 starting at 5pm at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks. For $35 ($25 if you are a student), you get a five-course international meal, live music and cultural dancing, and a chance to win tickets to Folklorama.
- The 21st Annual Fargo Film Festival from March 17-21 at the Fargo Theatre in Fargo. There are dozens of shorts and panel discussions, as well as a number of juried categories for the movies.
- The 42nd Annual Runnin O’ the Green on March 21 in Jamestown. You need to be 21 years old and have a non-alcoholic drink or alcoholic drink at several bars and pubs in town. Last year, 1,500 people participated. Proceeds this year will support area cancer patients.
- The 5th Annual Gumbo Cook Off in Williston. Admission is $10 (and you must be over 21) and proceeds go to Bras for a Cause.
- The 3rd Annual North Dakota Ice Hole Extravaganza/Indoor Cornhole Tournament on April 3 and 4 in Devils Lake. The largest cornhole tournament in North Dakota has over $50,000 in prizes and a live band.
And speaking of gathering, the Story of the Week is all about in-person connections. Read on for all of this week’s nice news.
This is the dictionary definition of North Dakota Nice: a Bismarck woman found an ornament in a coat pocket, and so she called the local news station to return it to its owner. And, of course, the station obliged. (KX Net)
Crosby’s Mariah Jenkins is wearing a special dress at prom this year. (KFYR TV)
Hunter’s mom is a classmate of mine and so I’ve been following his story closely since his accident. This is such a great article – the first in a series of three – about an amazing guy with an amazing attitude. (Grand Forks Herald)
I have an 8-year-old and a 4-year-old, and we just spent a night talking about what you do if you get stuck outside and it’s freezing cold. Thank goodness for Fargo’s Mark Sorum, who saved an elderly woman from freezing to death. (Fargo Forum)
You’ve read about West Fargo’s Sawyer Anderson before – she’s the girl who wrote “Water Works” to bring attention to the water crisis in Africa – and now Sawyer gave a copy of her book to a group of students in Fargo and, in exchange, they donated money for water wells in Africa. (KVRR)
Thanks to a dedicated science teacher, students in Flasher now have a Level 2 lab. (KFYR TV)
This is a great story about not letting criticism get in the way of your dreams: New Rockford’s Paula Winskye has just published her 21st novel. (New Rockford Transcript)
I had someone tell me the other day that they throw away pennies. At Lincoln Elementary in Dickinson, kids brought in those “worthless” pennies to raise $7,329.80 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. (Dickinson Press)
Minot’s Domestic Violence Crisis Center and PATH Inc. held a chili cookoff for Giving Hearts Day, which is really a win-win for everyone involved. (Minot Daily News)
Bismarck’s Emma Beverly, who is now tumor-free, is off to Disney World thanks to Make-A-Wish North Dakota. (KFYR TV)
I don’t even know how to describe this story. You’ll need to read it for yourself. (Grand Forks Herald)
New Rockford-Sheyenne School is one of only a few schools nationwide to receive a “Molly of Denali” grant for family learning. (New Rockford Transcript)
Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. I’d struggle to be one of the spectators, let alone a participant. (Grand Forks Herald)
Oh.My.Gosh. I think the snow fort is about to become the new backyard rink. (Grand Forks Herald)
There’s a new pageant for kids – a natural pageant, so none of the heavy makeup or hairdos – coming to North Dakota, and the winner goes to Palm Springs. (Sent via email)
Students in Williston were a part of the 2,500 volunteers that packed 500,000 meals for Feed My Starving Children. (Williston Herald)
Story of the Week: At a time when people choose texting over calling and Facebook over in-person get togethers, West Fargo’s Mark Berntson took 275 opportunities to meet with people face-ot-face. (Fargo Forum)
North Dakota Nice 