Fundraising for the Mendota Mdewakanton Dakota Tribal Community to acquire a Community Center 3-24-2019
Good morning everyone, this is just a quick note to let you know what is going on for our community. We are FINALLY doing a Capital Campaign. We need to raise money to buy a house to use for our community center. Mendota is a 501C3 Non Profit. We met Herbert Joly CEO of Best Buy in November 3rd, 2018 at Marnita’s Table. John, Sharon, Tommy and Victoria were at that meeting. Best Buy seemed very interested in helping us. Mr. Joly ask Sharon to get back to him after the holidays.
We had our first meeting with two of Best Buy board members on Feb 8, 2019. Sharon, Tommy and Bobby attended that meeting. The project proposal is due June 1. If accepted the grant is due by July and is decided in October. We have wanted a community center for years. Now with Best Buy’s help, one of the world largest corporations it is going to happen. Best Buy will donate $100,000 to $150,000 maybe $200,000. Best Buy is getting the tribal council new computers. A person from geek squad has already been out to Sharon house to see what we needed. Computers have been approved, should get them soon. Sharon has an office at her home and has for years.
The grant will be decided in October. Our hope is to be in our new place by our Christmas party and toy drive. We have a realtor looking for commercial property. He is checking on many properties for us. If you know of any properties on commercial zoning, please let us know. Maybe old building like Payless Shoes, a building by itself and about that size. We are looking in Mendota, Mendota Heights, or Eagan. Eagan would be best, but that area is expensive. If we have to go to Bloomington or wherever we will. An old farmhouse with a few acres would really be nice. If the new place needs repairs updates, and office equipment that goes in the grant too. Anyone have any suggestions or any places to buy let us now asap. Spread the word maybe someone knows of a place and do not know Mendota is looking for a place and has money. We need to collect 50% of the money with other funding. We will be on gofundme soon. They charge a fee so checks are better with no fees. Let us all donate and make this happen. Please email the office or call to donate to our community center. We appreciated all donations. Please make checks to MMDC land account in the memo. You can make a donation on Mendota’s web site www.mendotadakota.com and see about the Mendota Dakota people, who we are and our long struggle to get a community center, look under ABOUT to see our panels. Have any questions or comments send us an email mendotadakota@gmail.com Tribal Office 651-452-4141.We will have a plaque made with everyone who made a donation big or small on the wall in our new community center.
Preserving, Protecting and Promoting the Dakota Culture for Future Generations.
Thank you from the Mendota Tribal Council and its members.
John LeClaire Tribal Co Chairman, Perry Altendorfer Tribal Historian
Lon Navarre Tribal Member at Large.
Sharon Lennartson, MMDTC Tribal Chairwoman
Wakiya Waste Win Dakota (Good Thunder Woman)