PAULLINA—The Paullina Chamber of Commerce is hoping to get a fundraising boost from the O’Brien County community in the months leading up to this year’s Gemboree festival.
Earlier this month, the organization began selling $20 raffle tickets for a chance to win a new lawn mower, a griddle and a $500 meat bundle from Prairie Market grocery store.
“We’re selling these until Gemboree, so there’s plenty of time to grab those,” said chamber of commerce member Makayla Johannsen.
The city’s 13th annual summer celebration is set for Friday-Saturday, June 24-25.
Johannsen said the proceeds from the raffle tickets will help the chamber fund the fireworks display, which will happen June 25.
“The price of fireworks has increased a lot,” she said.
People wanting to purchase a raffle ticket can buy one from a chamber of commerce member or at Thrifty White Pharmacy and Prairie Market.
Another upcoming chamber event that will add to the fireworks fund is a golf tournament set for Saturday, June 4, at the Paullina Golf Club.
Johannsen said details for the golf tournament are still being finalized but more information — as well as how people can sign up for it — should be available toward the beginning of May.
“The golf tournament is something new that we’re trying out, so we’re very excited to bring something different,” she said. “We hope it draws a big crowd and is something that we can keep doing every year.”
The chamber is setting up a fundraising progress-tracking board in downtown Paullina, which will let community members see how much money gets generated for the fireworks.
When it comes to Gemboree itself, Johannsen said this year’s edition of the event will include several activities and attractions as in past years and potentially a few new features.
“We’re still in the process of planning everything, but it’s our biggest event of the year so we’re looking forward to drawing a crowd and getting people into town,” she said.
The chamber also welcomes help from volunteers in the community when it comes to preparing for and putting on Gemboree.
“It takes an army to put these types of things on, so we’re always looking for more volunteers,” Johannsen said.
This story was first published in the April 16, 2022, print edition of The South O'Brien Sun.
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