The Fifth District Report

Ellison Raises $186K in First Quarter of 2013

The 5th District congressman has nearly $87,000 cash on hand for the 2014 election.

Fifth District Rep. Keith Ellison raised $185,600 in the first quarter of 2013 and has nearly $87,000 cash on hand, the Star Tribune reported Tuesday. The report was the first filing of the campaign season and comes 18 months ahead of the election season. Minnesota’s congressional delegation raised a combined $4.2 million. Democratic Sen. Al Franken topped the list with $1.985 million raised in the first quarter and $2.03 million cash on hand. Click here to read the full Star Tribune story. Sixth District Rep. Michele Bachmann raised the most among Minnesota’s representatives—and fourth overall in the U.S. House, according to USA Today. The $679,522 she raised in the first quarter of 2013 was behind only House Speaker John Boehner, …

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GiGi's Playhouse, Down Syndrome Awareness Center, Opens Saturday in St. Louis Park

The playhouse will feature a door prize raffle, food and entertainment for its grand opening Saturday morning.

GiGi's Playhouse, the Chicago-based Down Syndrome Awareness Center, is opening a Playhouse in St. Louis Park. The Playhouse celebrates its grand opening Saturday, Feb. 9, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m., and will feature food, a entertainment and a door prize raffle for all who bring items for the center. The center's mission is to help serve the Twin Cities community of children with Down Syndrome by promoting awareness as well as serving as a resource for parents and families of children with Down Syndrome. The opening is scheduled two weeks before the organization's annual fundraising gala "I Have a Voice" in downtown Minneapolis to raise money for the nonprofit group. The organization is also seeking volunteers. 

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Parents Talk: Should Kids Be Doing Door-to-Door Fundraising?

We teach our children about “stranger danger” but some organizations and schools encourage kids to sell products door-to-door to raise money.

Each year at this time, we get the knock at the door. It’s the Girl Scouts, selling their cookies. Don’t get me wrong, I can chow down a Thin Mint like nobody's business. But, the selling process leaves something to be desired. In fact, I tend to turn away most youth fundraising requests that appear at my doorstep for two reasons: I don’t think I’m alone in my safety concerns. In fact, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children says that while door-to-door solicitation may be a confidence builder for children, it causes “potential risks for child safety, even within the confines of your own neighborhood.” The safest thing is to prohibit your children from participating in door-to-door solicitations, the organization says on its …

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Program Improves Fitness, Serves as JCC Fundraiser

In just six months, Plus-3 is off to a very successful start.

Stuart Wachs is a self-proclaimed physical fitness nut. Running. Weightlifting. Aerobics. He does, or has done, just about everything you can think of to stay in shape and be healthy. So, when he heard about a program called Plus-3, he jumped all over it. Wachs is the CEO of the Sabes Jewish Community Center in St. Louis Park. The JCC has many features, programs and physical fitness facilities. There is a large selection of free weights and machines, a running track, a swimming pool and courts for basketball, tennis and racquetball. “I felt the Plus-3 program fit not only what a lot of our members are already doing, but would also benefit the JCC as a whole,” Wachs said. Rick Sutton, who lives in the Bay Area of northern California, …

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