Three community pillars — two from Waconia and one from Chaska, were recognized last Wednesday, Sept. 18 at the second annual Celebration of Philanthropy Dinner hosted by the Community Foundation for Carver County (CFCC). A crowd of more than 200 attended at the Chaska Event Center.
Awards in Philanthropy were presented that evening to Paul Melchert, long-time Waconia lawyer, community supporter and local historian; Bob Roepke, who served as Chaska mayor from 1984 to 2002 and remains active in community building and special causes such as housing for homeless youth; and Mackenthun’s Fine Foods, fifth generation Waconia family grocer with deep roots in the community through the store, area food shelf donations and other actions.
Melchert explained his community roots date all the way back to age 9 when he wrote an essay titled “Learning to live in my community” that was featured then on WCCO radio. “You don’t have to be a Bill or Melinda Gates or a large corporation to be a philanthropist, he said. Philanthropy, he noted can be anything from volunteering at a food shelf, to serving with a community organization, to making any kind of donation to a worthy cause. Melchert also encouraged having a guiding principle of “compassion for others.”
Kim Mackenthun said he didn’t know what philanthropy was when he was a kid, “other than a fancy name for what we should be doing all the time.” But he said he learned it from his grandparents and parents, passed on now to next generation owners/operators Jessa Theis and Jaime Mackenthun. Started in 1917, Mackenthun’s is now the oldest grocery company in the state and the family talked about it as an opportunity to build relationships for customers, vendors and employees — and that “we are only as good as the community we serve.”
Bob Roepke grew up on Ash Street in Chaska, and spoke of small-town values and what became a vision among community leaders when he was mayor to make Chaska “the best small town in Minnesota.” He said that same sense of identity is present in all 11 towns in Carver County, and noted “we are all builders of community through our investments of time, skills and resources.”
It was just over a year ago at another fundraising event that Roepke suffered a heart attack, and he waxed emotionally about how some individuals at that event helped save his life.
“It’s a strange feeling coming back to the room where my heart stopped a year ago and thinking about all the friendships and relationships over the years, many who are here tonight,” he said.
With building community and celebrating philanthropy the theme of the evening, the Foundation also introduced this year’s Difference Maker grant winners: Waconia United Food Shelf/Gather and Grow, which serves 580 families a month with food and other needs at locations in Chaska and now Watertown; Mi C.A.S.A., a local Latino youth development program; and myHealth for Teens & Young Adults, serving youth ages 12-26 with medical and mental health services.
Last week’s event also included recognition for Khai Tran, who announced that he is departing his role as CFCC executive director after leading the philanthropy and community giving organization for the past three years.
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