VIROQUA, Wis. – A fundraiser held at the Viroqua Eagles on Saturday, March 2 raised over $4,000 for the Amara Rose Foundation, and crowned Viroqua Mayor Justin as the winner of their Chili Cook-off for the second year in a row.
The Amara Rose Foundation is a charity that was founded in 2022 by Randall and Heidi Overson and Jeff Richardson in 2022, after they lost their daughter, Amara, to accidental fentanyl poisoning at the age of 31.
Heidi Overson said there was a huge outpouring of support for the event including 12 people and organizations that entered the Chili Cook-off competition and the donation of over 25 baked goods that were auctioned off at the event.
Competitors included:
- Viroqua Mayor Justin Running
- Ridges & Rivers Book Festival’s Trina Erickson
- State Senator Brad Pfaff
- Chaseburg President Mike “Fuzzy” Miller
- La Farge President Frank Quinn
- Genoa President Rick Phillips
- Borgen’s Cafe
- Stacey Sanborn
- Shelly Bass (Wildcat Bar & Grill, Ontario)
- Michelle Tilson (Amara’s cousin)
- Michael Tarbert
Last years winner, Viroqua Mayor Justin Running retained his title taking first place once again. Second place went to Genoa Village President Rick Phillips. Third place went to Wildcat Bar and Grill’s Shelly Bass and fourth place to Stacey Sanborn.
Baked goods auctioned off by auctioneer Steve Wagemester included:
- The Cakery and Bake Shop – Cake
- Borgens Cafe: Lemon Meringue Pie and Sour Cream and Raisin Pie
- Cakes by Kolbo: One dozen variety cupcakes
- Ridges and Rivers Book Festival‘s Lisa Henner: Southern Pecan Pie
- Representative Loren Oldenburg: Homemade pie
- WKBT Emily Brown: Lemon Ice Box Pie
- News8000 (WKBT) Cameraman/Photographer John Hayes: Grandma Peterson’s Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
- Amara’s Grandma Rose: Lemon Meringue Pie
- Coulee Region Women magazine Editor Shari Hegland: Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Nut-Free Chocolate Crispy Bars
- Cake Decorator Rebecca @ Hansen’s IGA Westby WI: Cupcakes
- Linda’s Bakery (West Salem): Oreos-N-Cream Sweet Delight Dessert Cake
- Taeryn Johnson: Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie
- Bakers Touch (Ferryville): 10-inch Bourbon Brown Butter Peach Pies
- Lindahl’s Corner Stand and Bakery (Laura Lindahl): Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake and Triple Lemon Cake
- Norske Nook Restaurants and Bakery(Osseo): A loaf of their cranberry-rice bread and a gift certificate for a free pie
- Samantha’s Sweets: Chocolate cupcakes with pistachio frosting
- Bonnie Running: Homemade rosettes
- John Thompson: His famous cheesecake
- Heather Rudrud: Tuxedo Cake
- Barb Hammond: Church Ladies’ Pecan Pie
- Marianne Stokke: Pie
Top bids were for Heather Rudrud’s Tuxedo Cake, Bakers Touch’s pies, Lindahl’s Corner Stand and Bakery’s Triple Lemon Cake and Bonnie Running’s rosettes.
Following the event Overson said they will use the proceeds to help create awareness of the fentanyl issue and help those who are struggling with addiction.
Overson said the Amara Rose Foundation was recently granted $25,000 from the Vernon County Opioid Prevention and Abatement Steering Committee. That committee has been tasked with finding was of using the money the county will receive from the National Opioid Settlement. The county was awarded nearly a million dollars from the settlement if they the took the money over a 15 years period but decided to take a lump sum payment, which reduced the payment to around $600,000.
Overson said as they were gathering donations a distributing promotional materials she was often approached by people who have lost loved ones or have friends or family who are struggling with addiction.
“I have parents that come up to me since our last billboard campaign,” Overson said. “They tell me ‘I want my child on your next billboard’. They lost a child and we are trying to turn statistics into faces. There are so many people who don’t know how many people who have died in Vernon County from fentanyl. There is a lot. So these parents want their child’s face on a board.”
Overson said they are looking at other ways to raise awareness as well.
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