It was a night for snazzy outfits, beautiful dresses, and a lot of fun when the American Legion Riders hosted an adult prom at the Blue Earth American Legion on April 13. Proceeds from the event will go towards assisting veterans living in Faribault County.

A Night Under the Stars was the theme for an adult prom which was held on Saturday night, April 13, at the Blue Earth American Legion.

The prom was sponsored by the American Legion Riders with the intention of raising money for local veterans.

“That’s the thing about the prom,” American Legion Rider Randy Anderson said. “All of the money we raise stays in the area to help veterans in this county.”

There were 65 people who attended the prom.

“We were very pleased with how many people attended the event,” Stacy O’Donnell, a fellow Legion Rider member, commented. “It was really a wonderful evening.”

Butch and Friends Karaoke provided a wide variety of music to dance to – whether it was line dancing or slow dancing to a ballad.

“People were having so much fun the DJ actually had to stay late to keep playing the songs which were requested,” Anderson added. “It was fun to see people smiling and having a good time knowing they were helping out our veterans.”

There wasn’t a meal or banquet but snacks, both warm and cold, were provided for people to munch on.

Anderson and O’Donnell were also thankful for the number of businesses that donated gifts or money for the event. Those businesses were Blu Bair, Bomgaars, The Buzz Stop, Farmer’s Daughters Kitchen, Rockin’ Robin’s Restaurant, Winnebago Manufacturing, Country Butcher Shop, TJD Truck and Service, Tony’s Grain Systems and Buildings, and Randy and Robin Olson. There were also some donors who wished to remain anonymous.

Two different people also went home after learning they had each won a half of a hog.

Those attending were expected to dress nicely. Many of the women wore long dresses and some of the men wore sport coats and ties.

Although the final figures were not yet available, O’Donnell shared that over $1,500 was raised from the event.

“All of the money that was made from the prom will go to the Veterans Service Office,” O’Donnell said. “Jenna Schmidtke, the VSO director, will make sure it is used where it is needed.”

This is not the first time the Legion Riders have made the effort to help veterans.

“We were able to help out two families this past winter with funds we had raised,” O’Donnell added.

The Legion Riders also host a steak fry at the Blue Earth American Legion the first Friday of every month.

“We were sold out of the 40 steaks we had in one hour,” O’Donnell commented.

The Legion Riders are already talking about hosting another prom next year.

“There were many farmers who could not come this year because they were in the field, so we might try and hold the event earlier. We might even try to have it around Valentine’s Day,” O’Donnell concluded. “People have always been good in this area about supporting our veterans and we just want to say thanks for everything that people did to make the adult prom a successful event.”