Custom chairs to be auctioned to raise funds for Foundation

by PAUL RIGNELL CORRESPONDENT Special summer colors will be debuting along the Highway 8 corridor July 1, including reds, blues and other hues painted in fun patterns on Adirondack-style chairs to be visible at more than 30 different restaurants, shops and offices.

The chairs will be displayed through Labor Day, after which each will go to a high bidder from a silent auction. The auction winners’ contributions will support the Chisago Lakes Area Community Foundation (CLACF), an organization that awards local grants from interest earned from donations through benefits and special projects. As for the “Highway 8 Chairs,” committee member LouAnn Mattson knew of a similar program that was well-received in a Massachusetts community, and she brought the idea to the CLACF board and the Chisago Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce. A group of towns near Boston had seen one year of down business due to road construction, but the Adirondack chairs helped to bring residents back to the stores shopping locally. Mattson and other CLACF supporters hope to generate the same activity here.

“This just seemed perfect” for a project, she said. Chairs that have been painted specifically for this fundraiser may be found at businesses in Chisago City, Taylors Falls and every city in between. Artists have come from those towns including Lindstrom, Center City and Shafer, and also Stacy, Scandia and Forest Lake along with Wisconsin communities of St. Croix Falls, Osceola and Ashland.

Each chair was built, sanded and primed by adults and volunteer youth from Boy Scout Troop 127 of Chisago City. Chisago City chairs will be at Brink’s Market, Central Bank, Chisago Drug, Chisago Hardware, Frankie’s Live Bait, Designers Salon Spa, WineHaven, Sven’s Clogs and Northern Lake Tavern and Grill. In Lindstrom, the chairs will be at the Chamber office, the Chisago County Historical Society building, Bachman’s Photography, Gustaf’s Galleries, Koehn Auto Sales, Lake Area Bank, Security State Bank, Security-Victor Insurance, Stein Agency, Northwoods Roasterie, Renee Lynn Photography, Virga Chiropractic, the Sweet Swede and Cottage Gifts, and Skinners Fashions and Floral Creations by Tanika.

Central Bank, Eichten’s Bistro, Al’s Center Saloon, the Olde Theatre Antique Mall and the Cotton Candy Ice Cream Shop in Center City sponsor chairs; Shafer Saloon and Emily Jo’s Mini Mart in Shafer; and the Chisago House and Drive In restaurants; Coffee Talk, Romayne’s Sports Bar and Wild Mountain in Taylors Falls, also have chairs. In order to bid on a particular chair buyers must visit the sponsoring business where management will keep a clipboard of bids. The price of each chair will open at $150, and bidders may raise the price by increments of $25. The Highway 8 Chairs committee says that anyone who wishes to claim a chair immediately may do that with a bid of $1,000. Buyers will pickup chairs after September 2. The five solid color, over-sized chairs on display are not for sale.

All contributions above $75 (or the cost of materials) will be tax-deductible. Photos and other information will be available at www.highway8chairs.com. Each sponsoring business will offer tour maps, and the first 200 participants to visit all sites (and write in the chair codes on the map) will receive a coupon for a free McDonald’s cone. For a grand prize incentive, one person who visits each of the sites and fills in all of the codes by Labor Day will receive $200 in gift certificates that could be used at any of the sponsoring businesses of the winners’ choice. Completed entries must be submitted to the Chisago Lakes Chamber office 30525 Linden Street in Lindstrom.