What's Doing-Jan. 26

■ Backus American Legion events

BACKUS - The Backus American Legion will host its annual Super Sunday Football Party and Food Shelf fundraiser at 5 p.m. Feb. 2. The event includes complimentary potluck food and free door and party game prizes, beverage discounts and a seven-round 21-package meat raffle. Food shelf donations are requested but not required.

The annual Valentine’s sweetheart dinner is Feb. 8. It includes a prime rib or jumbo, deep-fried shrimp dinner for $20 a person. Singles and couples are welcome. Social time is 5 p.m. and those attending will be escorted to their reserved, private tables with waiters at 6:30 p.m. for dinner. Reservations are requested by Feb. 7. Call 218-947-3156 or 218-947-3416.

■ Encore Arts Association

Encore Arts Association will meet 1 p.m. Monday at The Center, (Note the change of week day and time). Sandy Walker will host the meeting and is bringing some supplies (card stock, pencils, paints, scissors, designs/images, etc.) Members are encouraged to bring additional supplies. The project is creating Valentine cards.

■ Ray’s Promenaders

Ray’s Promenaders will dance to square dance caller Tom Allen Friday at the Baxter Elementary School cafeteria. Plus dancing will begin at 7:30 p.m. followed by mainstream at 8 p.m. Theme for the evening is mismatched colors. Richard and Linda Carlson will host the fingerfood potluck served after the dance.

■ Brainerd Legion upcoming events

Commander Ed’s breakfast buffet will be served from 8 a.m. to noon Sunday at the Legion. Cost is $7 for adults and $4 for kids.

Walleye dinner will be served at 5:30 p.m. Friday at the Legion. Cost: $10.

■ Alpha Chapter
No. 23 OES

Alpha Chapter No. 23 OES will meet at 5:45 p.m. Monday at the Northwind Grille with a meeting at 7 p.m. at the Masonic Temple, 205 1/2 South Sixth St., Brainerd. Attire is sweatshirt night. For rides, call Gayle at 829-8656 or Margaret at 829-9767.

■ Area bridge scores

Jenkins VFW: Donna Sandelin, 6520; Jan Hauge, 5970; Jim Orput, 5510.

Whitefish Golf Course: Jim Thompson and Pat Wynthe, 53; Ardie Hjerpe and Bruce Peck, 47.5; Ginny Hersey and Shirley Granholm, 44; Al Hauge and Tim Tulloch, 41; Tom and Helen McGrath, 41.

Maucieri’s: Lynne Zweiner, 6550; Tom McGrath, 6200; Jim Orput, 5640.

Whitefish Golf Course: Tom McGrath and Jim Thompson, 29.5; Sue Caquelin and Joyce Roemer, 29.5; Guy Emmons and Dale Dickie, 28.5; Ginny Hersey and Helen McGrath, 27.5.

Crosslake Community Center: Tom McGrath, 5250; Tim Tulloch, 5010; Dick Dietz, 4960.

Whitefish Golf Course, Jan. 12: Jim Thompson and Ginny Hersey, 44; Tim and Terese Tulloch, 42.5; Dale Dickie and Guy Emmons, 41.5; Ardie Hjerpe and Ruthann Gottwaldt, 39.5; Lois Steffen and Joyce Roemer, 37.5.

Anyone interested in joining any of the bridge games can contact Jim Thompson at 218-543-4688.

Anyone interested in joining the bridge game at the Croslake Community Center, call the Center at 218-692-4271.

■ CWC Executive
Fair Board

Crow Wing County Executive Fair Board meeting will be 6:30 p.m. Feb. 3 at the Brainerd Curling Club. The Crow Wing County Fair Board will meet at 7 p.m.

■ Spaghetti dinner fundraiser for HART

HART will be hosting the first annual spaghetti dinner fundraiser with “The Lady and the Tramp” flair. The event will be from 5-8 p.m. Thursday at Yesterday’s Gone, 2190 South Ninth St., Brainerd.

Tickets are $8 for adults, kids 12 and under are $6 and kids under two are free. Tickets can be purchased at Utrinkets in Brainerd and at HART. Tickets will also be available at the door.

A bake sale will also be held. Dollar chances on a basket filled with items to create your own “romantic” spaghetti dinner will be available as well as live music to set the mood.

All proceeds will be used for animal care.

■ VFW Friday dinner

The VFW Friday dinner of stuffed porkloin will be 5:30 p.m. Friday at the VFW. Cost: $8. Reservations are appreciated; call the VFW at 829-6393.

■ Baxter Lions Club

The Baxter Lions Club will meet on Monday at Camp Vanasek. Dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m. and the regular meeting will be called to order at 7 p.m. Visitors are welcome.

■ Brainerd Elks distribute dictionaries

Brainerd Elks Lodge 615 members recently presented 595 dictionaries to third grade students in the Pillager School District, Brainerd School District, Lake Region Christian School, Discovery Woods Montessori School and St. Francis Catholic School. 

The Dictionary Project was founded in 1995 by Mary French of Charleston, S.C. Its primary focus is to promote literacy to children in third grade as they transition from learning how to read to identify and use information. Over the course of the program nearly 15 million third grade students have received dictionaries including about 2.5 million dictionaries donated in 2009.

Elks Lodges joined this movement in 2004. Nationwide they have donated more than 1.2 million dictionaries to third-grade students and their teachers as sponsors of The Dictionary Project over the last six years. There are 600 lodges that actively participate in the program. Brainerd Lodge has donated about 2,300 dictionaries in the past four years.

■ Elks 615 gifts
Women’s Shelter

When the annual “Mitten Tree” is decorated at the Brainerd Elks Lodge 615, members place gifts under the tree for the Women’s Shelter of Mid-Minnesota. Sixty-plus gifts were donated during the collection period. Cheryl Bailey collected the gifts and delivered them to the shelter.

■ BNSF Vets Association

The BNSF Vets Association will meet for a breakfast meeting at 9 a.m. Tuesday at the Northwind Grille. Bring your dues notices.

■ Senior dances

Senior dances will be 1-4 p.m. Tuesday at the Motley Ten-Hi with music by Jerry’s Dance Band; and from 1-4 p.m. Wednesday at Waukenabo with music by Country Ramblers.

■ Chapter DV, P.E.O.

Chapter DV, P.E.O. will meet 10 a.m. Feb. 1 at the home of Sue Kuhn with LaVonne Neff as co-hostess. Sue will give the program on “Our Very Own Bucket Lists.”