United Way of Northeastern Minnesota (UWNEMN) has held our popular Flavor of the North event for 10 years. This year, since we aren’t able to hold the event in person, we’ve created Flavor of the North Restaurant Month in which local restaurants submit an appetizer, entrée, and/or dessert, and diners across the region purchase the meals then vote for their favorites. Restaurant Month will take place this May and is free for restaurants to participate in, as well as for voters! 

In addition to the restaurant competition to showcase the best of the best on the Iron Range, UWNEMN will be holding an online auction that will run from May 1st through June 2nd. 

All auction proceeds will directly benefit food-insecure children and will support UWNEMN’s Buddy Backpack program, which provides meal kits full of nutritious, nonperishable, child-friendly food to at-risk children each weekend and holiday break during the school year. Currently, 825 children throughout the Iron Range currently benefit from this program. Buddy Backpacks is needed now more than ever, as many families are struggling financially due to the pandemic.

As you know, the pandemic has also hit our local food service industry hard. Our communities need these businesses to recover and thrive, and Flavor of the North Restaurant Month will help them do that – three participating restaurants will also win a $2,500 cash pandemic recovery grant by random draw! The goal of Flavor of the North Restaurant Month is to thank local restaurants for their past support and to drive business to them in these challenging times, while sponsorships and our online auction will raise funds for Buddy Backpacks.

Your donation to support the Restaurant Month auction would be greatly appreciated and would benefit hungry northern Minnesota children!