July 10, 2019

The 16th annual Tables du Jour event at Mayville State University has been scheduled for Saturday, April 25, 2020. The event will include a time for table viewing, a silent auction, and brunch. A preview event will be held Friday evening, April 24. Proceeds of the fundraiser will benefit Mayville State University and its students.

“Tables du Jour,” or “Tables of the Day,” features elaborately decorated tables, each with its own special theme. Décor ranges from fun and cute, to whimsical, to very elegant. Volunteer table designers are encouraged to think “outside the box” and to create with wild abandonment. If past events are an indicator, this is exactly what they’ll do.

Volunteer table designers are asked to come up with a theme and to decorate a table. They provide everything from the table linens, dishes, and silverware, to the many “extras” that will make each table special. Table designers also sell admission tickets to those who will attend the event and have brunch at their tables.

Tables du Jour was founded by Mayville State supporters Shireen Grinager and Kim Lauf as a way to fund scholarships for students who participate in band and/or choir at Mayville State University. The effort has been so successful that in recent years, funds were used to support general scholarships, as music scholarships were funded to capacity.

Shireen stepped down from her role with Tables du Jour a few years ago, and Kim has now also decided to give others an opportunity. Several volunteers have stepped up to ensure that the fabulous and much-loved event can continue. A Tables du Jour committee, Kaliann Behrens, Molly Lenaburg, Lori Morkve, Pam Sedler, Mindy O’Connor, JoAnna Strand, and Allison Johnson, will head up the 2020 event. Other volunteers will be assisting them with the various activities that are involved, including a Friday preview event and a silent auction.

“We thank Shireen and Kim and many others for giving so freely of their time and talents so that Tables du Jour could be the best it could be year after year. These are exceptional volunteers who have been unbelievably generous with Mayville State University,” said Beth Swenson, MSU Director of Alumni Affairs and interim executive director of the MSU Foundation. “From the beginning, Tables du Jour has been a wonderful annual event that has brought hundreds of guests to the Mayville State campus. Each year guests have been treated to a very enjoyable experience that has left them wondering how the bar can continue to be raised higher and higher. We are grateful for the new group of volunteers who have come forward so that the Tables du Jour legacy can continue. The women have plans to add some exciting new features to the event. Stay tuned for more information.”

A slate of table designers for the 2020 Tables du Jour event is now being formed. If you’re interested in being a table designer, please contact Molly Lenaburg at 701-788-8863 or remwhen@midco.net, or Kaliann Behrens at 612-723-5337 or akm_rose@hotmail.com.

“This is a great opportunity for a creative outlet and to have a lot of fun for an important cause,” said Beth Swenson. “Please consider getting involved.”