Stearns History Museum Hosts Bouja Bash Supporting Senior Volunteer Programs
ST. CLOUD (WJON News) -- There is an all-you-can-eat Bouja Bash happening this week in St. Cloud. AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP is hosting the Bouja Bash FUNdraiser on Thursday at the Stearns History Museum. The open house-style event runs from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
For $15, you can enjoy all the bouja you want, made by Holy Spirit Catholic Church in St. Cloud, along with bread, a beverage, and a brownie. The evening includes music, bouja trivia, door prizes, and a silent auction.
You will also be able to explore the museum at your own pace or participate in a special pre-event behind-the-scenes tour of collections and spaces not typically open to the public. A limited supply of frozen bouja will also be available to buy at the event. Registration is required for the museum tours. Call RSVP at 320-650-3083.
The Bouja tradition in Central Minnesota
Bouja is more than a hearty fall soup in Stearns County - it's a community tradition. Rooted in the area's German and Polish Catholic Communities, bouja has traditionally been prepared in huge kettles each fall, bringing parish volunteers together.
Holy Spirit Catholic Church has made bouja in its own 'bouja shack' since about 1970. The church's steam kettles were originally acquired from the St. Cloud reformatory. They use a recipe that has been a tradition since the early 1950s, when St. Mary's Cathedral was the home of a huge kettle over an open fire in the parking lot.
Where the money goes
Proceeds from the Bouja Bash will support AmeriCorps Senior RSVP, which connects adults 55 and older with volunteer opportunities at 160 human services agencies across Benton, Sherburne, Stearns and Wright Counties. Last year, 1,200 volunteers contributed 140,000 hours of service, equivalent to 67 full-time jobs.
Guess the '80s Faces: How Many Do You Recognize?
Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz