Joe Mauer has signed a bat and ball. The Minnesota Duluth women's NCAA championship hockey team has signed a jersey. UMD All-American football running back Isaac Odim has signed a jersey. Former UMD All-American goalie Alex Stalock has a Worcester (Mass.) Sharks jersey to go with a game-worn Bulldog jersey.
All items will be available to the public April 22 during the UMD Athletics Spring Fling dinner at the Greysolon Ballroom in downtown Duluth. The event is to help raise about $30,000 for the school's general athletic scholarship fund.
UMD awards $1.63 million annually in scholarships in 14 sports, said Bill Haller, director of athlete services.
"The Big Jig Fishing Contest is the largest annual fundraiser we have, and we'd like to get the Spring Fling up to that level," said organizer Justin May, UMD's strength and conditioning coach.
The Big Jig has been held the past 10 years during the winter on Pike Lake and raises about $50,000.
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The Spring Fling, in its 13th year, has a goal to attract 300 patrons, at $75 each, for a live and silent auction, and raffle. About 200 items will be up for bids, while the raffle will provide cash prizes of $2,500, $1,000 and $800. The event raised about $30,000 last year, said UMD assistant athletic director Karen Stromme.
"We want to make this a good community event, where the public can meet our head coaches, and feel they're more a part of our athletic programs," said Stromme.
Among other auction items are the use of a 16-
person suite for the DECC expansion opening Dec. 30 when UMD meets North Dakota in men's hockey; a trip to a Minnesota Twins game, including four tickets; a Bulldog quilt; and entries for the Garry Bjorklund Half-Marathon and William A. Irvin 5K road races in June. Two of the top non-sports items, said May, is a Whirlpool Energy Star Qualified Duet front-loading washer and dryer, and travel and lodging in Las Vegas.
The event is 5:30-8 p.m. with a dinner at 7 p.m. For more information, contact Sharyl Beaudin at UMD at (218) 726-6200.
