By Kari Lucin, staff writer

Folks in Albert Lea will &8220;Party for the Lakes&8221; to help the Lakes Restoration Committee raise money for watershed education and local lake projects at the Albert Lea City Arena from 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday.

&8220;We’re going to have a meal served by the pork producers, a cash bar from the Green Mill, and then we’re going to have a lot of raffles, games, fun stuff like that for people to spend some money for our lake restoration projects,&8221; said Bruce Haugsdal, committee chairman.

Prizes such as gift baskets, fishing rod holders, Hormel meat products and a framed Terry Redlin print will be raffled off, but there will also be silent and live auctions throughout the evening, featuring loads of walnut firewood, two used boats from Crystal-Pierz Marine, Pelican Breeze cruises and this year’s first commemorative coin, minted in sterling silver. Four $500 prizes will be raffled off to purchasers of commemorative coins.

Volunteers and donors will also be recognized at the event, and the Ken Nelson Award will be given. There will also be live music and plenty of information about recent watershed projects and Lakes Restoration Committee projects.

The Lakes Restoration Committee is part of the Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce, and though it often cooperates with the Shell Rock River Watershed, the two bodies are separate. The half-cent sales tax the watershed district receives is used for mostly capital improvement projects – the Lakes Restoration Committee helps raise extra funds for education projects in partnership with the watershed, like the lake ecology curriculum and pollution demonstrations for kids.

&8220;What it’s for is to ensure that the things were doing now, the people in the future, the kids coming up, will understand the importance of taking care of our lakes so that our lakes stay in good condition,&8221; Haugsdal said.

One of the projects the Lakes Restoration has recently funded is the gasoline service for boaters, which is being installed near the City Beach.

&8220;We purchased a $500 double-walled fill tank, donated to the city of Albert Lea, so boaters can fuel their boats there instead of at the end of the dock and spill. This will be much more controlled, so we’ll probably save about 100 gallons of raw fuel going into our lake each year,&8221; Haugsdal said. &8220;And the convenience of people being able to fuel their boat on the lake is another plus.&8221;

Haugsdal said he hoped groups wanting to raise money would man the gas station and sell gas to

boaters.

&8220;It’s going to be a great opportunity for some group to come along and raise some money, and do some good for the lakes,&8221; Haugsdal said.