Minnesotans’ Military Appreciation Fund hosted nearly 500 guests at its annual dinner on Friday, October 17th at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Bloomington. MMAF was honored to welcome its keynote speaker, U.S. Army General (retired) Michael E. Kurilla, who relinquished command of U.S. Central Command on August 8, 2025. MMAF was honored to host General Kurilla in-person this year after he graciously provided the keynote address via livestream during the 2024 MMAF dinner due to operations that had recently taken place in the Middle East. MMAF was also honored that General Joe Votel, the keynote speaker from MMAF’s 2019 dinner and former CENTCOM Commander, provided remarks and assisted in a Q&A session with General Kurilla. Having two former CENTCOM commanders in the room made for a rare behind-the-scenes look at U.S. military operations in one of the most volatile regions of the world. The evening raised over $550,000 for MMAF.
The evening’s program was emceed by long-time supporter of MMAF, Tom Hauser of KSTP 5-Eyewitness News, who shared why he is passionate about saying “Thanks” to service members and their families. Colors were provided by the cadets from the Harding High School Junior ROTC program and music was performed by the Ensemble Singers from VocalEssence, conducted by Philip Brunelle. Army Chaplain Lieutenant Colonel Timothy Usset provided the invocation for the evening. MMAF Chair, Roger Sit, spoke about MMAF reaching two significant milestones: 20 years of operation as of August and the issuance of the 20,000th grant to a Minnesota service member. Roger reminded supporters that about 40,000 Minnesotans have served in combat zones since September 11, 2001 so MMAF’s mission of “Thanks” will continue to seek out those service members who are still eligible for MMAF grants.
After a break for dinner, Tom Hauser introduced guests to Jeff Giese, the Vice President of The Freedom Run – Minnesota Lake. The Freedom Run, a 100-mile motorcycle rally starting in Minnesota Lake, MN (population 650), has raised over $350,000 for MMAF over 19 years. Jeff’s passion for supporting the military stems from relatives who served in Vietnam and his own attempt to join the Army after 9/11. In 2007, Jeff’s friend Danny Woitas, an Army veteran, decided to organize a motorcycle rally to support Minnesota troops. They chose to give money raised from the ride to MMAF because of MMAF’s track record of 90% of donations going directly to MMAF grants for Minnesota service members. It felt good to benefit others in the state and their local communities. Jeff noted how thousands of riders have participated in the Freedom Run and how their southern Minnesota communities have continued to support the event, knowing the impact it makes for local service members and their families. Roger Sit thanked Jeff, and the Freedom Run members in the room, for their continued support and encouraged everyone to attend the 20th annual Freedom Run this summer on June 20, 2026.
General Joe Votel then took the stage to introduce his friend and keynote speaker of the evening, General Michael E. Kurilla. A native of Elk River, General Kurilla immediately connected with the audience with stories about growing up in Minnesota. He was quick to recognize the Minnesota National Guard’s 34th Infantry Division, which served under his command last year in Kuwait as a vital part of Task Force Spartan. General Kurilla detailed how the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, reshaped the region, emboldening Iranian proxy groups to attack U.S. Forces in the region. General Kurilla spoke about how the U.S.S. Carney, and other Navy ships operating in the Red Sea, shot down hundreds of Houthi missiles and drones over an 18-month period. When Iran directly attacked Israel with a barrage of drones and missiles, U.S. pilots took to the air and with their Israeli counterparts, they prevented all of the missiles and drones from reaching their targets in Israel. Finally, General Kurilla spoke about how U.S. pilots attacked and neutralized Iranian nuclear facilities and how the service members at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar successfully fought off the Iranian retaliation. These stories demonstrate the readiness and skill of the U.S. military.
General Votel joined General Kurilla on stage to ask him a few questions about his 37-year military career. General Kurilla talked about how the people in the military were what kept him serving for as long as he did, noting that there are truly talented people serving at all ranks in all branches. He noted the security reasons for the U.S. military to maintain a stake in the Middle East, along with the U.S. and global economic needs for safe shipping through the Red Sea. General Kurilla spoke with optimism that Saudi Arabia will recognize Israel, which would fundamentally change the region for the better. General Kurilla’s respect and passion for the military were on full display and we are grateful to him for his service.
Roger Sit presented desk awards to General Votel and General Kurilla in appreciation for their continued support of MMAF. The evening concluded with a beautiful performance by VocalEssence of God Bless America. Thank you to those individuals and corporations who gave so generously to this primary fundraiser for MMAF. One hundred percent of funds raised at the dinner went directly to Minnesota troops and their families thanks to sponsor Sit Investment Associates who underwrote all event expenses. We hope to see you next year!
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