Our Oktoberfest Team has been doing a great job of getting us ‘geared up’ for our big festival. These leaders and booth captains make it easy for you to sign up to volunteer and donate items by having sign ups after Mass and online. Since there are about 600 one-hour time slots needed for volunteers, we are hoping that most of you will offer to sign up for two hours of help and then stay and enjoy the great celebration. Go to
www.stclarechurch.org/fest, or you may stop by the table after Mass this weekend.
The other main way you can support the Oktoberfest is through our raffle. When I am passing out raffle tickets to my family and friends, I remind them that this is a great donation to the Church while also having a very good chance to win $10,000! The odds are just 1 in about 250!! Think about making your own $100 donation to our parish for this great opportunity. The Little Otto tickets ($10) also give you five chances to win $100. Be sure to send the online raffle link to out of town friends
stclarechurch.weshareonline.org/Oktoberfest. Take flyers and extra tickets to your workplace!
While we are very excited to have at least some parts of our Oktoberfest returning this year, it is necessary that we do not do a ‘fullon’ version due to local health conditions. I spoke to several lead medical people in our area, and they strongly advised us to have no kids’ games or inflatables since most of them are not vaccinated and very vulnerable in large group settings. We also will not have the other games for adults.
How to still make it a great afternoon and evening? 1.
Children and youth can join the adults in the 5K run/walk at 4:00 —with prizes in various age categories. Children 10 and under can participate in the Kids’ Fun Run right after the 5K.
2.
Families are welcome to enjoy a special mealtime together. Between 4 and 7 p.m. is the best time for this. Try the variety of Festival foods starting at 4 p.m. or join us for the “FamilyFriendly German Dinner” with a kids’ meal option. The German Dinner will be held outside from 5 to 8 p.m.
3.
Adults can have a ‘night out’ with the whole field being one large German beer and wine garden, spread out for music and socializing from 4—11 p.m. We still need lots of volunteers and donations of specific items. So, please sign up to help as soon as possible. Because this is our only parish fundraiser, it is vital that you help us sell those raffle tickets! It is an amazing opportunity to win $10,000! Plus, check out the online auction that week and bid on those one-of-a-kind items!
Thanks for your generous support!
May the Lord give success to the work of our hands. (Ps.89)
Fr. Jim Deiters