Rotary donates back to Hastings Athletics

By Bruce Karnick
Posted 10/30/24

The Hastings Area Rotary Club (HARC) holds their annual fundraising concert, Rivertown Live!, each September. The concert raises funds to support Rotary’s efforts and programs around Hastings. …

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Rotary donates back to Hastings Athletics

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The Hastings Area Rotary Club (HARC) holds their annual fundraising concert, Rivertown Live!, each September. The concert raises funds to support Rotary’s efforts and programs around Hastings. What most people do not know is that one of the biggest reasons the concert goes so well is the volunteering of Hastings High School’s student-athletes. These student athletes help with anything that is needed for physical labor throughout the entire weekend of the one-day concert. As a way to thank the athletic programs for their help, HARC takes the tips they receive at all of the beverage selling booths during the concert and donates them to the school’s athletic department. This year, the donation was $2,500 dollars.
HARC President Craig Beissel went before the school board to give the due praises to the entire group of people that helped from the school. Here is what Beissel had to say at the start of the school board meeting.
Thank you all for allowing me to speak tonight. For those that don’t know, my name is Craig Beissel, President of the Hastings Area Rotary club.
This is my third time being here to share this awesome story with you. As you are aware we recently hosted our annual Rivertown Live Concert.
It was great to see some of you there to show your support. Our event has proved itself once again to be an impressive event for the Hastings community, offering the opportunity to attract folks from all over. Our event would not have been possible if it weren’t for the support of the community, the volunteers, and the Hastings Athletic department.
The partnership the Hastings Rotary club has formed with the Athletic Department has once again proven to be invaluable. Like years past, Athletic Director Trent Hanson and I work together to ensure the needs of the bands were met and the event ran smoothly with offering back support throughout the day. This year we were supported by the Football, Swim & Dive, Volleyball, Soccer, and Tennis teams.
It’s great to have Pete McGuiness, Josh Colvin, and Josh’s son Charlie joining me.
Throughout the day of the event, we had student athletes loading and unloading band equipment, helping with guest check in & ticketing, selling cheese curds, picking up garbage and being available for whatever surprise or need that came up.
Our Sunday morning cleaning duties were completed in record time. The football team ensured that we had the area picked up and packed away with assuring that no one could tell there were 2,000 folks present the night before.
Roughly 75 athletes and 10 coaches contributed to our success. These numbers illustrate 150 hours of volunteer hours provided in support of Rivertown Live 2024.
It was so great to show off the work and help of these student athletes to all the concert goers. Concert attendees shared feedback praising the idea of having student athletes help. The band crews shared positive feedback about how impressed they were with the help as well as commenting they never see this sort of arrangement with other performances.
As a way for our club to give back and offer our appreciation, we collected tips notifying guests that all tips collected would be donated to Hastings High School.
The amount collected this year was a record. The generosity was utterly amazing.
It brings the Hastings Area Rotary Club a great amount of pleasure that we can provide a check for $2500.
Again, thank you Trent Hanson, the coaches, and to all the student athletes for volunteering.
To join the Hastings Area Rotary Club, visit HastingsMNRotary.com or stop into one of the Thursday morning breakfast meetings at the Second Street Depot. They meet from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. on Thursday mornings excluding major holidays.