April 25, 2018

The fourteenth annual Tables du Jour fundraiser was held Saturday morning, April 21 in the MSU Campus Center Luckasen Room. Weeks and months of planning by many talented and hard-working table designer/hosts and hostesses culminated in an over-the-top event for the more than 200 guests who attended, and left many people wondering how, even after holding the event for 14 years straight, the bar could keep getting higher and higher.

The decorating frenzy began Thursday morning, April 19, and by Friday evening, April 20, all was ready. A preview, revealing a room filled with 25 lavishly decorated tables, was held from 5 to 7 p.m. The nearly 60 folks who attended were able to enjoy a taste of what was to come in the main Tables du Jour event that would be held the next day. Coordinated by Sheryl Vinje and Jackee Lerol, both of Portland, N.D., the preview event offered a relaxing and enjoyable way to view the spectacular tables, and the $10-per-person admission charge contributed greatly to the event purpose of raising funds for Mayville State University and its students.

Kim Lauf of Mayville, who has been a co-chair of the event since its beginning 14 years ago, organized Tables du Jour, which began as a way to annually raise funds for the music department at Mayville State University. The past fund-raising efforts have been overwhelmingly successful, so much so that scholarship funding for music students for next year is already in the bank. This prompted organizers to direct proceeds from the 2018 Tables du Jour event to the Annual Fund at Mayville State University. The Annual Fund is the area of greatest need at Mayville State this year, and every dollar raised through Tables du Jour will help all Mayville State students’ dreams of an education come true. Tables du Jour efforts are helping not only the music program, but all programs at Mayville State, to grow.

As promised, attendees were treated to a morning of fun, great food, and creative table themes. Each of the 25 tables featured in the spectacular occasion was decorated with its own special theme. Some tables were entertaining, others were elegant, some were sentimental or awakened memories, and still others just plain made a person smile or even giggle. Hosts and hostesses were charged with coming up with a theme and decorating a table, providing everything from the table linens, dishes, and silverware to the many “extras” that made each table special, including party favors. The table designers were also responsible for selling the $25 admission tickets to a total of eight people, including themselves, who would attend the event and enjoy having brunch at their tables.

Table themes and designers included the following: You are My Sunshine by Cheryl Angen; Book-It-List by Sarah Batesel, Betty Karaim, Margit Eastman, Kelly Kornkven, Shannon Hofer, Aubrey Madler, and Marjorie Fugleberg; When Life Gives You Lemons by Kaliann Behrens; Meet Me in PARADISE by Marsha Behrens; Boho Chic by Jackie Kuhle; Nostalgic About Norway by Debbie Hagen and Peggy Schultz; Thy Word is a Lamp Unto My Feet by Gaylene Johnson, Jessica Marquardt, and Paula Peterson; Message of the Anemone Flower by Mary Iverson and Connie Kaldor; Steampunk Style by Lacie Brueckner and Allison Johnson; The Wild West by Bob Kozojed and Kelly Morrison, Mardi Gras by Kim Lauf; Pine & Plaid by Molly Lenaburg; Yokoso by Annie B. McMahon and Emiko Kingsbury; Fiesta de la Familia Moore by Jacque Moore, Jill Carter, and Stephanie Winterquist; Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Lori Morkve; Sound of Music by Sue Jaramillo and Barb Kram; I’m Booked! by Ruth VanWechel, Char Lee, Pam Carlson, Sue Strand, and Joan Osland; Forget Me Not by Pam Soholt; Cherries Jubilee by Beth Swenson; The World is a Book by Joan Huus and Cleone Whelan; Good as Gold by Ashley Hanson and Danielle Soholt; Let’s Celebrate, Cupcake by Pam Sedler; Midnight in Paris by Kim Lauf and Janice Thoreson; Birds in Paradise by Toni Jacobson; Orange Crush by Barb Kram, Susan Jaramillo, and Donna Olson.

Activities included about an hour and a half of viewing the amazing tables and a silent auction. Betsy Ewen, Loree Stenehjem, and Cindy Ingebretson of Mayville and Gaylene Johnson of Cummings coordinated the silent auction event. They gathered lots of fabulous items on which to bid. The items had been donated by table designers, as well as others.

Gary Hagen and Merwin Lyng of Mayville and John Klocke of Fargo, outfitted in their finest, served as greeters and hosts throughout the morning. Champagne was provided, compliments of Happy Harry’s Bottle Shops of Grand Forks and Fargo. Students representing the Mayville State music department and the men’s basketball team were able to experience the event and see first-hand the source of funding that will assist them and their university. The students helped to serve the brunch which was catered by Bryan Karolus and MSU Dining Services staff. Fabulous desserts and beverages were provided by table designers. Jackie Kuhle of Countryside Creations in Mayville provided door prizes for both the Friday and Saturday events.

While figures are still being tabulated, more than $9,000 was taken in as a result of Tables du Jour 2018. This total includes more than $3,800 generated in the silent auction. After expenses are deducted, the net amount raised will go to the Annual Fund at Mayville State University.  

The date for the 2019 Mayville State University “Tables du Jour” has been set for Saturday, April 27. If you are interested in serving as a table designer for this, please contact Kim Lauf at 701-261-5976.

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