Long-time Crookston resident Mark Menard is battling cancer, and as Crookston residents often do, they are rallying to support Mark in his battle. Brandon Carlson, a city employee and Minakwa Golf Club co-owner, says there is a fundraiser in the works. “We are going to do a benefit, free-will donation, brat dinner at Minakwa Golf Course on Friday, March 7, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.,” says Carlson. “Hopefully, Mark will be able to make it; I think he should be able to. He was diagnosed earlier with esophagus cancer.”
Carlson says he has known Mark for some time due to both working for the City of Crookston. “I worked with him at the city. When I first started at the city, Mark was in the Wastewater department, and I was in the Water Department, and we worked alongside each other,” says Carlson. “When we bought the golf course, he was mowing fairways for the Leach’s, and he helped us out mowing fairways in the last two years, too.”
Carlson says Mark has always been helpful and feels it’s his turn to help him. “We are going to do what we can to help him through this,” says Carlson. “See if we can help him financially a little bit.”
On March 7, there will be a free-will donation for the brat dinner, and all money made from drink or food sales at Minakwa from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. will also be given to Mark. “We will probably limit our menu to apps off our regular menu and then drinks,” says Carlson. “Anything purchased after 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 7, whatever the full purchase price is, we will donate to Mark.”
Carlson says that there will be a drawing at the benefit dinner. “Advanced Tire donated a 22 Caliber Automatic Riffle that we will have a drawing for,” says Carlson. “Insight Firearms donated the registration for whoever wins that gun.”
The benefit is still being planned, and Carlson says there may be some other things happening that evening at Minakwa, but his main goal was to raise money for Mark and get people to come out and support him and visit with him. “We will just have everyone come out and maybe chat with Mark and support him.”
What can you do if you cannot make it out to Minakwa on Friday, March 7, but want to help? “I was going to dig into GoFundMe a little bit, but they take a portion of those,” says Carlson. “If you want to mail a check to Minakwa at 901 Fisher Ave., just make it out to Mark, for whatever you feel appropriate, we will make sure he gets it.”
