Community Gives Together

Minnesota State Fair Community Gives Together

The Minnesota State Fair Community Gives Together initiative seeks to bring the community together to give back in partnership with various nonprofits and organizations.

Learn Life-Saving Skills

At this year’s Kickoff to Summer at the Fair, we’re asking guests to give just a few minutes to learn about Hands-Only CPR and AEDs. National CPR and AED Awareness Week is June 1-7.

Hands-Only CPR: Two steps can double or triple a person’s chance of survival. As a bystander, you can:

Call 911
Push hard & fast in the center of the chest

AED: Using an AED within the first three minutes of sudden cardiac arrest increases the survival rate by over 80 percent.

Learn the simplicity of using an AED. Stop by and visit with certified trainers and cardiac arrest survivors at the tent on Carnes Avenue, east of the Grandstand Ramp. Brought to you by the American Heart Association and the Center for Resuscitation Medicine at the University of Minnesota.

Past Projects

Giving the Gift of Warmth

In the winter of 2023 the fair collected coats, hats and gloves in support of our neighbor across Como Avenue – the International Institute of Minnesota. This nonprofit works to help immigrants and refugees make Minnesota their home.

Food Drive benefitting Second Harvest Heartland

The Minnesota State Fair collected food donations for Second Harvest Heartland in conjunction with the 2023 Kickoff to Summer at the Fair! Presented in partnership with Cub Foods.

Supporting Mental Health Organizations Serving Veterans and Others

In conjunction with our Kickoff to Summer at the Fair 2022 event, we coordinated a donation drive to support three local nonprofits.

Believet Canine Service Partners

Committed to improving the life and independence of veterans, Believet Canine trains and matches highly skilled service dogs with veterans, including those with post-traumatic stress disorder, at no charge to veterans.

Invisible Wounds Project

Working with veterans, first responders, EMS, front-line medical workers, dispatchers and corrections employees and their families, Invisible Wounds Project and its partners provide mental health treatment, counseling, addiction therapy and services related to mental health such as retreats, service dogs and recreational opportunities free of charge and confidentially.

Magnus Veterans Foundation

Magnus bridges the gap between those who serve and those whom they serve through community fellowship and an innovative, comprehensive approach to the health, psychological, physical, spiritual and social wellbeing of veterans and their families. Membership services are provided free of charge. The Magnus Veterans Wellness Campus, the first facility of its kind in the country, is located in Dayton, Minn.

Activities Donation Drive Benefitting Older Adults at Lyngblomsten

The Minnesota State Fair Community Gives Together hosted a drive Dec. 11, 2021, to collect activity items and toiletries for our neighbors at Lyngblomsten, which provides healthcare, housing and services for approximately 400 older adults and is located just east of the State Fairgrounds.

Learn more about Lyngblomsten.

School Supplies Drive in partnership with Kids In Need Foundation

The Minnesota State Fair Community Gives Together hosted a drive July 26-Aug. 1, 2021, during the Amateur Talent Contest Finals to collect new/unopened school supplies. Teachers dedicated to serving students in under-resourced schools often purchase much-needed supplies for children out of their own pocket. These donations benefitted Roseville, Minn.-based Kids In Need Foundation.

Make a financial contribution. (Please write “State Fair” in the Notes section.)

Essential items drive in partnership with Every Third Saturday, Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans and YouthLink

The Minnesota State Fair Community Gives Together hosted a drive in May 2021 as part of Kickoff to Summer at the Fair to collect items for veterans and young people who are accessing services to achieve supportive and sustainable housing. Thanks to Kickoff attendees, we collected thousands of items to benefit Every Third Saturday, MACV and YouthLink.

Kitchen Pack Drive in partnership with Bridging

The Minnesota State Fair Community Gives Together hosted a drive in December 2020 to collect essential kitchen tools for our neighbors seeking housing stability with furnishings and household goods. Fair fans helped us collect 294 full kitchen packs – that’s one full month of client needs at Bridging! In addition, 49 can openers, 190 mixing spoons, 182 spatulas, 365 kitchen linens and 500+ miscellaneous items were donated.

Learn more about Bridging.

Partnership for a ConnectedMN

During the Fall Food Parade in October 2020, we asked attendees and fair fans to consider a financial donation to Partnership for a ConnectedMN. ConnectedMN assists nonprofits, school districts and organizations throughout the state in supporting students with the technology and connectivity tools they need to learn, thrive and prosper, especially in a year when students are more reliant on technology than ever.

Learn more about the impact of Partnership for a ConnectedMN.

Food Drive benefitting Second Harvest Heartland

In partnership with Cub, attendees at the Food Parade over 13 days in August and September of 2020 filled six truck loads with 57,000 pounds of food and household and toiletry products!

Learn more about Second Harvest Heartland.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about Minnesota State Fair Community Gives Together, please reach out to us at fairinfo@mnstatefair.org.