Good day Rotarians, For those that missed the excitement of the 2026 Give-A-Thon yesterday, the results are presented in the communications below. But first things first with normal housekeeping items as the report crescendos into the big finish - just as Paul Allen crescendos the big plays for the Queens on KFAN. Bring on football season! - E-tabs rebounded to $118K in July after a lull in June of $94K, an increase of 25.3%
- The gross profit improved to $19K from June’s $17K; however, the gross profit margin was worse at 16.2% compared to 18.4%, respectively
- Similarly, paper tab sales rebounded as well, albeit a smaller amount as sales jumped to $78K from $71K, an increase of 9.8%
- Unfortunately, the gross profit margin dipped to 16% from 18%, lowering July’s gross profits to $12K from June’s $13K
- And to complete the trifecta, bingo rebounded to $19K in revenue from June’s $16K while gross profits were identical at $3K as the gross profit margin slipped
- However, net income for the month was a powerful $21K, fueled by the annual Rotary Raffle that brought $14K in net proceeds
- Through July 2026, year-to-date profits were $117K compared to last year at $92K
- For the Give-A-Thon below, FRYS is utilizing a profit of roughly $10K in August to assess how much in funding is available for donations
As the crescendo of excitement builds for the donations, a quickstep back is necessary to acknowledge the team that makes this fun possible. First and foremost, the outstanding FRYS Gambling Manager, Brenda DeMars, the team MVP year-in and year-out. None of this is possible without her leadership. The dynamic mother & daughter duo of Amy Lubrant & Jessica Amundson is also mission critical to the FRYS charitable gambling operation. Amy oversees the financial reporting of the organization while Jess ensures the integrity of the operation by auditing closed games. Of course, the partnership with Boxers and Dawn Walker needs to be recognized. Her innovations to attract new patrons to Boxers is a huge reason why FRYS shattered records this year. And last but not least, FRYS resident tax expert, retired CPA, Rotary Camp steward and much more, Dave Beranek. The quality - to borrow lexicon from the World Cup - of this team has been displayed in numerous successful annual audits but came to shine under the most intense scrutiny with this past summer's Minnesota Department of Revenue Audit. After five years of operations and building the plane as it flew, so goes the metaphor, a minor infraction from the handling of a raffle was the only mark against the organization, a testament to the processes, procedures and internal controls FRYS has put in place. Okay enough of the soapbox and time for the excitement! Through the month of July, FRYS donations year-to-date were $53,260.59. Of those, Strive was the largest source at $27K followed by Warm Our Community at $9K. And now to the Give-A-Thon, the chart below details the approved gifts with a little description. | Give-A-Thon 2026 | Organization | Request | Description | River Bend Nature Center | $3,750 | Payment #2 of the FRYS / RBNC partnership to bring youth out to the Rotary Camp, payment is obligated | Little Falcons | $10,000 | An annual gift made by FRYS as one of the primary sponsors of the program | School Supplies for All | $7,500 | Annual gift by FRYS --> donation at the $5K Marker Champion Level | Faribault HS Baseball | $4,000 | Request from Greg Ciesluk, funds to be used for jerseys, bats, catcher's gear, etc… FRYS donated $3,500 last year | Faribault Educational Enrichment Program (FEEP) | $3,500 | No amount requested, FRYS donated $1,500 last year | FATE Foundation | $5,000 | Request from Dr. Huston, FRYS donated $5,000 last year | Faribault Youth Empowerment | $3,600 | Request from Ibrahim, funds to be used for the youth program supplies, OpEx & annual family fun day | Faribault Hockey | $4,000 | FRYS donated $3,500 last year --> funds to be used for equipment & scholarships | Faribault Aquatic Center | $1,300 | New wheelchair for handicap students to utilize the pool | Hope Center | $1,500 | Coping Kits for Kids, requested by Erica Staab | Faribault Lutheran School | $1,300 | Spanish faith based curriculum | Community Action Center | $2,000 | BottomsUpBaby campaign, $1K provides diapers for 2 babies for a year | Breakthrough Coalition | $3,600 | Third place for youth to hangout on Tuesdays - Thursdays from 4:30PM - 7:30PM | Faribault Football | $4,000 | FRYS donated $3,500 last year --> funds to be used for equipment/jerseys | Splash Pad | $10,000 | Total donation is $20K with $10K coming from reserves --> Per Laura, funds are not handed over to the city till November | Viaduct Park Bench | $1,250 | One-time payment | Little Feet | $4,000 | FRYS donated $2,500 last year | Total | $70,300 | | | | | | | |
Once the books close, FRYS will have made an incredible $123,560.59 in charitable contributions that improve the lives of Faribault Area Youth! And with that, the 2025/2026 Faribault Rotary Youth Services charitable gambling campaign is complete as we crescendo into TOUCHDOWN!! Much appreciated, FRYS Charitable Gambling |
