DULUTH, Minn. — A group of Duluth residents is celebrating after deciding not to escalate, but instead, put a positive spin on a very public dispute with a wealthy landowner.
The flap began when neighbors and the mayor began questioning the motives of billionaire Kathy Cargill, who has been buying up property and demolishing existing homes on Duluth's Park Point, called the longest freshwater sandbar in the world. According to the Duluth News Tribune, Cargill currently owns 22 parcels on Park Point and has demolished nine homes with three more permitted for demolition.
Concerned residents contacted Duluth Mayor Roger Reinert, who sent Cargill a letter asking to discuss her plans. Cargill instead went to The Wall Street Journal, saying she was quashing a plan to "spruce up and help modernize the neighborhood" that included adding a coffee shop and installing a sports court for everyone to use. Cargill told the WSJ that she also had plans to build homes for relatives.
"I think an expression that we all know—don't pee in your Cheerios—well, he kind of peed in his Cheerios right there, and definitely I'm not going to do anything to benefit that community," Cargill was quoted saying about Mayor Reinert. Cargill referred to Duluthians as "small-minded" and in a previous interview with the Duluth News Tribune, who broke the story of Cargill buying up properties, she was quoted in the paper calling the homes she bought "pieces of crap."
Recognizing an opportunity when they see one, a group of locals launched the Duluth Cheerio Challenge, a campaign to collect boxes of the cereal and monetary donations during the final days of Minnesota FoodShare month.
"This wasn't something where we were asking people, 'Can you donate $1,000?'... It was, 'Can you donate a box of Cheerios?'" said Kate Van Daele, who worked behind the scenes on the Duluth Cheerio Challenge.
Van Daele said it all started when her friend Dana Kazel called her up, in response to Cargill's comments. Van Daele recalled Kazel saying, "This Cheerio thing is going crazy. How do we figure out how to have the food shelves benefit from this?"
Van Daele then came across a Substack posting from Chad McKenna. She said, "I read it and it perfectly said of how Duluthians really get involved... This guy gets it."
McKenna was on board to help and shortly after the campaign launched, he said, "Sort of weren't sure how people were going to respond and then it was just like floodgates."
In one week, organizers collected more than 800 boxes of cereal and over $50,000 in financial contributions for area food shelves. The 813 various-sized boxes of Cheerios collected equals 10,569 servings of cereal. Volunteers announced the numbers on Monday morning.
And like the story of the Park Point flap, the desire to help has extended well over Minnesota's borders. Organizers of the campaign say donations have come in from Arizona, Florida, Washington and many states between.
"While certainly it was Kathy Cargill's comments that started this effort, we really wanted to be intentional of not going after Kathy Cargill. We wanted this to be a positive effort," Van Daele said.
Donations will go to Chum, Damiano Center, Salvation Army—Duluth, and Union Gospel Mission. While McKenna said the Duluth Cheerio Challenge is now closed, he's encouraging others to donate to their local food shelves. Minnesota FoodShare month runs through April 6.
Seth Currier, executive director of the Damiano Center, told KBJR that their food costs have doubled in the past year.
"It's huge to have this kind of support because it cost a lot to make meals for people every single day," Currier said.
McKenna said, "It just really reiterates what a great community Duluth is and that they're willing to step up when asked to contribute."
One person, Beth-Ann Bloom, commented in the Duluth Cheerio Challenge's Facebook group, "Duluth is big-hearted; not small minded."
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