This time of the year is all about section sports, graduations, and working during the Memorial weekend for me. Since working at the radio station full time since 2008 my Memorial weekend consists of section softball and baseball and some graduation parties on Saturday and Sunday. Attending the LQPV and Dawson-Boyd Commencement ceremonies and then attending as many graduation parties as I can. On the morning of Memorial Day I set up the radio equipment at the Madison cemetery so the Memorial Day program can be aired over KLQP.

This past Saturday I was in Marshall broadcasting the LQPV softball game with section rival Edgerton/SW. The game started at 11am at the Marshall softball complex. The weather was perfect and the game was amazing. The Eagles won 2-1 with both teams scoring in the 1st inning. Brandi Meyer, LQPV’s shortstop made one of the best diving catches I’ve ever seen. Maya Sawatzky who just finished her 8th grade year pitched a gem of a game. What was really fun was seeing so many Eagle fans cheering on the softball team! Lots of red and black colors.

On the way home I stopped in Dawson to watch some section baseball games. Nelson Field was packed with people cheering on their teams on a such a beautiful day. Dick Newman and Bart Hill were broadcasting the games on Q-92.

Sunday morning I attended church and then the rest of the day was attending graduation receptions. Every year I am humbled and shocked at the graduation invites I receive from kids from the area. Dawson/Boyd, LQPV, Canby and Minneota. I’m very thankful that the kids think of inviting me to their graduation parties. I might only know them from broadcasting their sporting events or giving them a Player of the Game t-shirt or may have done an interview with them. Actually over the years I’ve gotten to know many of them and their parents well. Building relationships with people is important to me and I appreciate the lifelong friendships I have made with the kids, their parents and also their grandparents.

Monday we will be honoring men and women who gave their lives serving in the Armed Forces so that we might live in a free country. We all need to remember to give thanks for that.