Annual banquet kicks off fall events for Dakota Hope
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Award-winning Christian music artist Mark Schultz will share his adoption story at Dakota Hope Clinic's annual fundraising banquet Sunday, Sept. 20, in the North Dakota State Fair Center, Minot.
Preregistration is required by Tuesday, Sept. 1, because space is limited.
"Our goal is 700 and we are getting very close," Dakota Hope Clinic Director Mandy Crocker said. "We are filling up fast."
Dakota Hope Clinic is not holding a separate banquet in Stanley this year because people will want to come and hear Schultz when he speaks in Minot, Crocker said.
Schultz is a platinum-selling musician with 13 No. 1 hits on Christian charts. He has shared his powerful story of his adoption and gratitude to his birth mother across the country. Through music, humor and heartfelt story telling, Schultz encourages audiences to celebrate life, support families and make a difference.
Crocker said Schultz, because he had been spared from abortion, is known for reaching out to pregnancy help centers to thank them for their work. When he called Dakota Hope Clinic to say thanks, it led to further conversations that resulted in his appearance at this year's fundraising banquet.
Doors to the banquet open at 5:30 p.m. and the dinner begins at 6 p.m. The meal is free but attendees will have opportunities to donate to support Dakota Hope. Attendees or others unable to attend the banquet also can donate online through Dakota Hope's website.
A second Dakota Hope-sponsored event will follow on the heels of the banquet when Pam Stenzel returns to Minot to speak on "The Dangers of Hook Up Culture." The free event will be held Wednesday, Sept. 23, from 6:30-8 p.m. in the Grand Hotel in Minot and is targeted toward grades 7-12, parents and youth group leaders.
Stenzel is an advocate for born and unborn life, outreach director for Safe Haven Baby Boxes and an international speaker on sexual integrity and development. Combining humor, honesty, and decades of experience, Stenzel offers practical insight and encouragement to help families navigate today’s culture with confidence, healthy relationships and hope, according to information from Dakota Hope. She previously spoke in Minot five years ago.
Dakota Hope also is preparing for its annual Festival of Trees, scheduled this year for Friday and Saturday, Nov. 20-21, in the State Fair Center.
The current need is for volunteers to sign up to fill a variety of roles, including setting up before the event, taking down afterwards, running booths, assisting with the 5K run and holiday tea, and delivering the decorated trees sold at auction. Anyone interested in volunteering can visit festoftrees.com and click on the volunteer tab.
The annual fundraiser offers early Christmas shopping from vendors and Grinch Grab boxes with surprise prizes. There will be Christmas photo sessions, sleigh rides, entertainment and a dinner with a silent auction and auction of theme-decorated trees. For children, there will be bounce houses, Balloon Ninjas creating balloon shapes and activities such as the interactive Nativity story, Follow the Star.
Crocker said Dakota Hope Clinic has broadened its services over the past year, offering both sports physicals provided by a nurse practitioner and a fertility education and medical management program for women looking to become pregnant or avoid pregnancy. Another education program is offered to teen girls to help them better understand their bodies.
Holding Hope is a new program, started earlier this year, to support those who have experienced a stillbirth, miscarriage or an infant loss.
Crocker said Dakota Hope plans to launch a program in September at the Ward County Jail that will bring support groups such as post-abortion care and recovery from domestic violence to female inmates. The desire is to assist women who have experienced difficult pasts and continue to support them after incarceration, she said.
Crocker said Dakota Hope has been working to maintain a male mentor program for fathers who are clients of the clinic. Male mentors are sought to come alongside new fathers, expectant fathers or fathers working through parenting challenges who are taking advantage of educational services at Dakota Hope. Mentor training is available, and mentoring is provided at the clinic in a structured setting.
Dakota Hope continues to offer a number of services, ranging from its Baby Boutique, limited obstetric ultrasounds and pregnancy testing to programs supporting emotional healing after an abortion and adoption education.
"We are seeing growth in our Earn While You Learn Program. That's definitely taken off," Crocker said.
The program enables expectant and new parents to earn items from the Baby Boutique as they learn through a parenting course. Crocker said some of the enrollment growth is coming as awareness of the program increases among airmen at Minot Air Force Base.