State Parties

Minnesota Club Celebrates 2025 (in 73-Degree Weather!)

D. Pedota

The Minnesota Club celebrated the New Year a bit Early on Dec. 29, 2024, at a luncheon at the Pepper Sauce Kitchen at the Arizona Zipline in Oracle. We had a great gathering of 44 people. Door prizes donated by Mitch Franklin and Edie Oates were won by Marty Knezovich and Sheila Davison as well as by Lisa and Ross Horton. The scenery and mountain views were gorgeous, and we even met three real cowboys who rode in on their horses!

Besides it being 73 degrees “up in the mountains” that day (which would never happen in Minnesota in December) we were able to leave in time to head home for a 2:25 p.m. kickoff and see the Vikings win!

Next outing will be a Sunday hockey game to see the Tucson Road Runners at the Tucson Arena (March 16) at 4 p.m.; we get a bargain price for group tickets and it’s a good time—we went last year. If interested or to get on our mailing list, please contact [email protected].

Time Is Running Out for the Wisconsin Party Ticket Sales, Ya Know!

Barbara Barr Bengen

Cripes! Time is running out to grab your tickets for the 2025 Wisconsin Party, which will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 18 at SaddleBrooke HOA One with doors opening at 5 p.m. Tickets will be sold until Feb. 4, unless they run out! Last year was a sell-out! Ya know! So don’t wait until Ground Hog Day to snag your tickets and be up the crick on the “Wait List.” Don’t get snookered!

Your tickets include the buffet dinner, entertainment, a ticket for door prizes, and a chance to speak Wisconsin and be understood at $38 per person. The buffet might remind you of your favorite supper club with all the fun of a Friday Night Fish Fry! There will also be pop, brewskis, rivers of Brandy, a bubbler, and other beverages of the old homeland and the new homeland. Be sure to hurry up right here to snag your tickets quickly so you don’t end up on the wait list! Awww geez, you don’t want to do that—er no? Just reach out to one of our Wisconsin Party ticket representatives:

* Cindy Witt, 608-334-1785 (SaddleBrooke)

* Carolyn Bewalda, 414-254-4369 (SaddleBrooke)

* Karen Gille, 920-737-7225 (SaddleBrooke)

* Julie Klarkowski, 920-562-7642 (SaddleBrooke)

Returning to entertain us again this year is WTMJ’s favorite drive-time talent, Jonathan Green. Uff-da! Remember back in the day when radio stations saved their top professionals for “Drive Time?” It took the top talent to keep you happy while you waited at the Stop-n-Go light! Jonathan will keep us laughing as he helps us reflect on our cheesehead roots.

One of the highlights of the Wisconsin Party is always the Cash Raffle. Remember to hit the TYME Machine to bring cash to the party! Ticket sellers will only be selling tickets for the cash raffle in the early part of the evening. This gives the ticket sellers more time to prepare the cash prizes! So snag your tickets as quickly as you can. When the King of Milwaukee Drive Time, Jonathan Green, announces the end of ticket sales, it’s time to STOP! Ya know!

Another highlight each year is Wisconsin door prizes. Awww geez! Do we have some fantastic door prizes this year? You betcha! The ticket sellers will also be taking donations of Wisconsin memorabilia and foods as well as cash donations. Many of our Wisconsin folks love to donate door prizes or make a financial contribution to door prizes. Ya know! Your ticket seller can assist you when you pick up your tickets, just like we did it up north! Ya know!

And last, but not least, just when you thought a party couldn’t get any better, this year’s party promises to be better than ever! Thanks to the hard work of the “Wisconsin’s Friends” Committee, the 2025 Wisconsin Party will be even bigger and the BEST ever. Jeeeez! You won’t want to miss it! Are you ready to have a real good time—er no?

To get the 411 on the Wisconsin Party, email [email protected] or call Shelia Ratza at 262-707-7188!