WELCOME — There will be an American Red Cross blood drive from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. today, May 24, at the Live Fit Gym in Fairmont. In June, there will be blood drives on June 4 and 5 at the Best Western Hotel in Fairmont and June 10 at the Regional Worship Center in Sherburn. To make an appointment or find locations, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767), go online to www.redcrossblood.org or text BLOODAPP to 90999.

**

Monday, May 27, is Memorial Day and the Welcome Legion and Auxiliary will have a program starting 9 a.m. at the Welcome Legion Hall, with Jeff Hagen as the speaker. All area residents are welcome to join them to remember that freedom isn’t free. Thank you to all the servicemen and women who served or are serving now and the families of those who gave their life to keep America free.

**

Tuesday coffee hours in May continue one more week from 8:30-10 a.m. on May 28, at Trinity

Lutheran Church in Welcome. Join friends and neighbors for good coffee and great fellowship. For the month of June the Tuesday coffee hours will be held at St. Luke’s Catholic Church in Sherburn.

**

Have you purchased your Welcome Festival fundraiser raffle tickets? Welcome Festival is July 19-21 and the winners of the prizes will be drawn July 20 on the music stage. The winner does not have to be present to win but why would they miss such fun events. The prizes are an OONI pizza oven, a $400 cash prize, a Yeti bundle, and two $100 gift certificates from Welcome Meats. Get the tickets from any festival committee member. They are only $10 a piece and there are only 500 that will be sold.

**

Welcome/Sherburn Police Department and Trimont Police are sponsoring a free bike rodeo for

children of all ages on June 9. The Rodeo will be held 9 a.m. at the Sherburn High School, 12 p.m. at the Welcome Fire Hall and 3 p.m. at the elementary school in Trimont. Participants should have parents sign a waiver and be present to support their children. Please bring bike, helmet and closed toe shoes. The kids will learn bike safety, navigating cones, helmet use and stop, signal and look procedures. Each participant will receive a bike safety gift bag. Thank you officers, for helping area children learn such an important safety lesson. All children are welcome to join them at the town closest to their home.

**

A special ‘Heart Song’ fundraising event will take place June 22 in the Martin County Arena at the Martin County Fairgrounds, west of Fairmont. This will be fundraiser for Healing Hearts Housing. There is a Healing Heart House in Sherburn. Besides the live music there will be a hog roast, activities for children and a silent auction. If anyone wishes to donate an item to the silent auction, please call Cheri at (507) 848-6307 or email them at HealingHearts56171@gmail.com.