Blooming Prairie Outback Bowl Dance Team begins active fundraising campaign

The 4th of July in Blooming Prairie is a time for families to get together and enjoy a multitude of activities while sipping on an ice cold water or a soda.
This year, the Blooming Prairie Chamber of Commerce is partnering with the Blooming Prairie Outback Bowl Dance Team to sell water and soda from vendor carts that were first introduced over 30 years ago by A.J. Lysne Co.
The chamber resurrected a long tradition of cart sales last year by partnering with the St. Croix Warriors, an amateur football team. Years ago, the Blooming Prairie Matmen Club pushed the carts around and raised money for its operation.
Funds derived from this year’s 4th of July sales will be split 50-50 by the Chamber and the BP Outback Bowl Dance Team. The funds earned by the Outback dance group will be used to sponsor 13 young Blooming Prairie girls, ages 8 to 13, who will be part of a dance line to perform at the Outback Bowl college football game at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., on Jan. 1, 2016.
The local dance team is part of the Just for Kix organization which dancers and coaches have trusted for 29 years to provide memorable educational and imaginative bowl performance opportunities for all skill levels. 
The BP Outback dancers were chosen and invited to participate in the Outback Bowl productions.
Local business leaders Tamzen and Doug Johnson have worked on many of the fund-raising projects with the water and pop carts. They recently sat down to share the excitement about the dance team with Just for Kix dance director Elizabeth (Bizzy) Thompson and two parents, Tina Borgen and Pam Lujan.
The fund-raising effort is just one of many the dance group has chosen to support its trip next January. The Outback group was formed last April from the local Just for Kix dance line, Borgen said.
Dancers on the Blooming Prairie Outback Bowl Dance Team are: Emma Christianson, Linnea Sunde, Emily Trihus, Gracie Rudlong, Emily Krampitz, Asia Thostenson, Rachel Pirkl, Jayde Wacek, Marti Snider, Kassidy Borgen, Samantha Wencl, Layla Lujan and Danae Lujan. Four parents and the director will also be making the trip.
Members of the overall BP Just for Kix team will be performing at noon on the 4th of July at the judges stand across from the elementary school. Dancers will be from the 3 to 9 age group. The local Just for Kix group has been in existence for 15 years and starts its season the first full week of school, Thompson said.
The BP Outback team will perform during pre-game activities and at halftime. Thompson said that ESPN broadcast the dance line performance for more than two minutes last year. 
The 2015-16 Outback Bowl Performance Tour theme is “Salute to Elvis,” Dec. 28 through Jan. 3. About 500 girls will be dancing to the tunes of a 1,500-piece band. “The field is covered with performers,” Thompson said.
A DVD of the choreographed dance line routine will be provided the dance group in advance  and the group will practice after arriving in Tampa.
“Our dancers are so excited,” Thompson said. “We would like to offer this next year, too,” she said. “It’s an honor for the girls and also for the town,” Borgen said.
Fundraising goal for the Outback Bowl dance group is $30,000, Borgen explained. She said costs include the flight, uniforms, shoes, hotel, etc. “We are going down there to represent Blooming Prairie the best possible way we can,” she added.
The fundraising for the group is already under way with other fund-raisers planned:
• July 1-2, bagging groceries from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Hy-Vee in Austin