Volunteers for the City of Elysian raise their ginger ale-filled champagne flutes for a photograph.
The City sponsored the toast Wednesday at its annual volunteer appreciation picnic. (Photo by Pat Christman)
Here's to Us
Published September 30 , 2004
Mankato Free Press
story by Nicole Christiansen, Staff Writer
Elysian - Under different circumstances, people mobbing Elysian's Main Street holding full champagne flutes might have been a disaster.
On Wednesday evening, it was a celebration.
About 200 people made a toast to their city Wednesday at a volunteer recognition picnic, but the city really needed to make a toast to its volunteers, City Administrator Pat Nusbaum said.
Volunteers keep Elysian going, she said.
The town's library, food shelf and tourism center all are run by volunteers. Its five-day Fourth of July celebration usually requires the efforts of at least 250 people.
About 300 people were invited to the picnic for volunteering at least once during the year, Nusbaum said, and many people gave of their time at more than one place. In a town of 530, that's a lot of contributors.
"Everybody kind of works together," Mayor Mack Evans said. "It's not just the Chamber (of Commerce)."
So to give a little something back, city officials grilled hot dogs and hamburgers and passed out ginger-ale in champagne flutes. After all, kids helped with some of the city's work, too.
"It's just kind of a little thank-you to all of the people for their work," Nusbaum said.
Once everyone had a beverage in hand, they were ushered out of Elysian's American Legion and into the street for a toast and a group photo.
The photographer stood on the roof of the Legion and took pictures of the group holding up their glasses from above.
City officials announced that their Web page, which had been inactive for a while, is getting revamped and should be up and running within the next couple weeks, too.
Nusbaum said she hopes to put the picture of the toast on the city's home page.
Reprinted with permission
