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The Albert Lea Healthcare Coalition’s Autumn Elegance “Ball in the Mall” raised $125,000 Nov. 5 at the Northbridge Mall and the John & Susan Morrison Healthcare Plaza in Albert Lea, according to a press release.

The  purpose of the fundraiser was to raise funds for the expansion of medical services at the John & Susan Morrison Healthcare Plaza.  The expansion is a collaborative effort between the Healthcare Coalition and MercyOne. 

The amount raised was $15,000 over the goal that co-chairman Mark Habben had set for the event.  

“We are appreciative of everyone who invested their time and resources to make the ball a success,” Habben said. “The ball was developed to bring the community together for a great cause and have a wonderful evening.  We look forward to building on the success of this year to continue our mission to bring quality affordable healthcare back to Albert Lea.”

The ball exceeded its goal with the help of sponsorships from 42 local and several out-of-state companies. In addition, 19 local business vendors provided the food and beverages.  

The silent auction had 90 items collected from local businesses that raised $10,000 and the live auction, with Sonny Jensen as auctioneer, raised $25,000. 

“From the beginning our co-chairs, Emma and Mark Habben, set an aggressive goal of raising funds,” said Brad Arends, president of the Albert Lea Healthcare Coalition. “That told us that we had to attract hundreds across a broad demographic. We ended up raising $125,000 with an estimated 330 attending. We had a great turnout from Millennials, GenX’ers, and a few Gen Z’s. We look forward to hosting the event again next year.”