To the editor:

It Takes a Village…..we have all heard the saying, but in this case I am referring to the effort put forth by the Village of Hopkins to sponsor a wonderful, family friendly, 4^th of July celebration.

The day began with a 5K sponsored by the local chapter of FFA, breakfast in the park, cooked and served by Village Council members, followed by gospel singing, family and community games and the fire department challenging the winners of the tug of war. It was not exactly an even match up so adults were ready and willing to then challenge the fire department, but those awesome public servants were called out on a fire so the challenge will wait until next year.

A bike parade for the kids and a big parade for the bigger kids (all you guys with trucks and tractors!) preceded an evening of rock and roll and bluegrass music while we visited with neighbors and friends and waited for the big event. Thousands, of people descended on the village to watch the fireworks, sponsored again this year by the Gun Lake Tribe and Casino while county, state and tribal police helped keep everyone safe.

The icing on the cake, however, was when a small but dedicated group of volunteers met on Friday morning to make sure the school grounds got picked up and we found that all those people who came from so many different places, packed up their trash and made sure it was taken care of. What a wonderful tribute to the spectators who visited our village!

What most people don’t realize is that all of this, every activity and event, is planned by a small committee of seven who start meeting in March to make sure that the day will be a success. They solicit donations of food for breakfast and money for prizes and other costs and brainstorm new ideas. Their reward is knowing that everyone will go home tired, happy and proud of their community and the country that we live in.

If you have never been lucky enough to enjoy a small town 4^th of July, consider this your invitation to visit Hopkins next year and if you came and enjoyed yourself this year (or any other year) please know that you are welcome back any time!

Finally, my humble appreciation for the residents of our little village who opened their community to all of visitors who came to enjoy the evening with us and see the fireworks. Your generosity and willingness to share this special place is a tribute to our community.

Mary Howard, President

Village of Hopkins