North Winneshiek The Last Homecoming –The Final Roundup

Posted: May 2, 2019

The Last Homecoming –The Final Roundup
Members of the extended North Winneshiek School community are planning a big party to celebrate the decades of North Winn. Plans are being finalized for The Final Roundup on Friday, May 10-Sunday, May 12, 2019 with activities for families and friends of the school.

The Alumni Celebration Committee formed to commemorate those 55 years of excellence with an all-school reunion weekend. Proceeds from the Last Homecoming—The Final Roundup will be used to establish a scholarship fund for a graduating senior at Decorah Community Schools and at Mabel/Canton School, who has a connection to North Winneshiek. Donations can be sent to North Winn Scholarship Fund at PO Box 241, Decorah, Iowa 52101 or made in person at the Last Homecoming.

On Friday afternoon, May 10, beginning at 3:30pm, current kindergarten through sixth grade students at North Winneshiek will welcome visitors to view the North Winn Timeline they have created with stories and memorabilia on display. Visitors will find supper at Winneshiek Wildberry Winery, just down the road from North Winn at 1966 337th Street or at Barney’s at 3607 236th Ave in Burr Oak. At 6:30pm-8pm on Friday evening, there will be a kick-off for the weekend with classmates meeting in the NW gymnasium for group photos, reminiscing, viewing the Timeline and preparing for the Saturday events. Everyone is invited to bring materials to decorate mini-floats or tractors and wagons for Saturday’s festivities.

Running the Block, Saturday, May 11 will be a 4-mile fun run/walk, following the route that many NW athletes will remember fondly or painfully. Organizers Tricia Ryan and Tiffany  Dahlberg will begin check-in and registration at 7am and the walk/run fundraiser will begin at the softball diamond at 8am. Registration for the event is $25 (12 and under $5). Send  registration forms to Barney’s at 3607 236th Ave. Decorah, IA 52101 (Checks made out to N.W. Scholarship Fund) or http://www.north-winn.k12.ia.us or register on the morning of the  event.

The North Winn Benefit Tractor Ride will start on Saturday, May 11 at 9:30am in the South driveway at North Winneshiek with check-in beginning at 9am. Registration forms are available online at http://www.north-winn.k12.ia.us or at Barney’s, Winneshiek Wildberry Winery, Letterwerks, or the NW School office. Entry Fee is $15.00 per driver/rider age 16 or older. Ages under 16 $5.00. Sign up on event day $15, Under 16 $5.(Checks made out to N.W. Scholarship Fund) If you have questions, contact committee chairs Andy Hageman or Stacy Knight.

The 17-mile ride through Hesper and Locust will loop back to North Winneshiek, rain or shine, in time for the county’s largest and tastiest potluck dinner at noon in the North Winn.  cafeteria. Bring a dish to pass, table service, and a lawn chair. Lemonade will be available. Dishes can be delivered to the kitchen before the Fun Run/Walk or Tractor Ride.

The Last Homecoming Pep Rally will be held at 1pm on Saturday in the NW Gym. There will be introductions, cheers, songs, and the Spirit Stick. Classes are welcome to prepare and display tricycle and wagon floats for a mini-parade. The Pep Talk will be given by North Winn. graduate Dwight Seegmiller, CEO of Hills Bank in the Iowa City area. Members of the audience will be  invited to share brief reminiscences and join the choir to sing the NW classic “It’s Time for Moving On.”

Donations are being accepted at North Winneshiek for a NW Scholarship Auction to begin at 3pm on Saturday with auctioneer Steve Darrington. North Winn memoriablia, home-made  items, including a NW quilted wall-hanging, and valuable items will be sold in the auction. The auction will be followed by opportunities for group photos for classes, families and friends.

Attendees are welcome to bring photos and memorabilia to display on Friday and Saturday or sell on Saturday at the auction. There will be a Memorial Wall for displaying photos of past  North Winners.

Saturday evening activities will include a NW Benefit BBQ dinner at Barney’s in Burr Oak beginning at 5:30pm. The cost will be $8 for adults, Patty Snell will be the cook and her family will be serving with funds to go to the NW Scholarship Fund and Miaja Quandahl’s trip to DC Fund. Visiting and food will be available at Winneshiek Wildberry Winery until 7:30pm. From 7:30pm-11pm, there will be music at Barney’s by the North Winn favorite classic Country Cousins Band.

The weekend celebration will end on Sunday, May 12, 2019 with Brunch at Winneshiek Wildberry Winery from 10am to 1pm. This event is by reservation only by phone 563-735-5809.

The price is $11 adults, $5.50 11-yrs and under.

Members of the Last Homecoming Committee are chair Nancy Sojka; marketing Laura Smith, Beth Guizman, and Tiffany Dahlberg, Tractor Ride Andy Hageman, Brian Hageman, and Stacy Knight; Run/Walk Trisha Ryan and Tiffany Dahlberg; BBQ meal Tammy Brink and the Snell Family; Fund-raising Lisa Bullerman, Brenda Falck, and Tammy Brink; Auction Melissa Wicklund, Lisa Bullerman, and Andy Hageman; Merchandise sales Brian Peterson; Pep Rally Tammy Brink, Mary Arneson, and Melissa Wicklund. Information is available on the North Winneshiek School website: http://www.n-winn.k12.ia.us or contact Nancy Sojka at 563-419-1828.