---

November 21 is Give to the Max Day.  This is a day when thousands of donors across Minnesota rally around their favorite charities by making gifts through GiveMN to increase the wellbeing of our communities.  The event began in 2009 and raised  $14 million in 24 hours. Since then the event has raised over $300 million for charities- nonprofits and schools.  

The Chisago County Historical Society is actively seeking donations for their needed technology updates through Give to the Max,  Chisago Age Well will be included in Give to the Max this year, seeking funds for  senior programs. 

You also can support the local Food Shelf through Give to the Max. 

To make a donation in Minnesota, go to GiveMN.org      The minimum donation is $5. There is no maximum limit.

If you drove through town Saturday you certainly would have noticed the streets were filled with parked cars.  It seems they all were headed to Deutschland Meats for the re-install of the giant wiener on top of their building.  It didn’t hurt that they were also giving away some of their famous home-made hot dogs at the event.  When I drove past there had to be 200 plus people waiting in line for hot dogs.  Say what you want about their choice of wording in their ad for the event, judging by the number of people that showed up (900 dogs served), I would say it worked.  

 We here at the Press are starting on our popular Holiday Gift Guide.  It is a stand alone piece that features local businesses as well as recipes, decorating and other tips to make your holidays perfect.  If you own a business that is looking to increase holiday sales this year, by all means give us a call at the Press (651-257-5115) or email us and we can get you into this year’s Gift Guide.  Please don’t wait, space does fill up quickly.

I had the chance to once again serve the meal for our local Veterans Monday evening at Zion in Chisago City.  I have been doing this for a long time, and I can tell you, this was the best turnout the meal has seen in a very long time.  LeRoy, Emmy, Matt and all the regular volunteers busted their tails to ensure everyone had a delicious meal.  Thank you to all of the Veterans who attended.  I love to get the chance to serve you as just a small token of my gratitude for your service.

Another nice note- this week we will be taking the largest donation load to the homeless shelter and the anonymous battered women's shelter,  to date. 

Thanks to all who give.

---