Annual Breakfast Rotary fundraiser is a peach of a deal

DETROIT LAKES — There's nothing quite like the taste of a fresh, ripe peach plucked straight from the vine. "They sell themselves," says Detroit Lakes Breakfast Rotarian Kathy Michaelson, who has

DETROIT LAKES — There's nothing quite like the taste of a fresh, ripe peach plucked straight from the vine.

"They sell themselves," says Detroit Lakes Breakfast Rotarian Kathy Michaelson, who has helped organize the club's annual Rotary Peach Sale for several years. "They're delicious. The name — Colorful Sunburst Fruit (the peaches' supplier) — kind of reflects what the peaches really taste like."

For the 24th time, DL's Breakfast Rotary Club will be offering boxes of these delectable fruits, shipped directly from Washington state to Minnesota via Frazee's Daggett Truck Line, for sale to the general public.

The Rotary Peach Sale is set to take place this coming Friday and Saturday, Aug. 11-12 in the parking lot of Nereson's Automotive at 923 U.S. Hwy. 10, Detroit Lakes.

Sale hours are 12-8 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 11, and 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 12 — or until all the peaches are gone.

"Last year we sold out on the first day, in six and a half hours," said Michaelson. "We don't take pre-orders ... all sales are on a first-come, first-served basis."

Though the peach sale was held at two separate locations in years past, the club decided last year to hold it in just one spot, in order to simplify the preparations, she added.

Peaches are sold by the lug for $39, or half lug, for $23 — the same price as last year. Though the Rotarians have always tried to keep prices the same from year to year, they did go up slightly in 2022 due to the rising cost of fuel, and the peaches themselves.

A lug is determined by the weight, rather than the number of peaches, Michaelson said. For instance, a lug could be 38 large peaches, or 42 smaller ones, depending on the customer's preference.

Though some may hesitate to buy a full lug, due to concerns about the fruit spoiling before they can eat it all, she said that the peaches can last for as long as five or six weeks if stored properly.

"Take them out of the packaging and layer them in your (refrigerator) crisper, stem side down," Michaelson said, "with newspapers or paper towels in between the layers. They'll last a long time that way."

All proceeds from the sale go to support Breakfast Rotary projects, whether they be local, regional, national or international in scope.

"Rotary donates locally, districtwide and internationally, but the bulk of our money does stay local, within a 25-mile radius of Detroit Lakes," Michaelson said. "We concentrate on literacy, health and wellness initiatives."

Children's literacy is a particular focus for the Breakfast Rotary Club, she added. "Eat a peach and you're buying a book for a kid."

Michaelson also noted that anyone who might be interested in joining the club is more than welcome to attend a future meeting. "We meet every Tuesday at the Holiday Inn at 7 a.m. Our motto is 'Rising early, having fun, doing good.'"

What: 24th annual Rotary Peach SaleWhere: Nereson's Automotive, 923 U.S. Hwy. 10, Detroit LakesWhen: Friday, Aug. 11, 12-8 p.m., and Saturday, Aug. 12, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., while supplies lastWho: Hosted by the Detroit Lakes Breakfast Rotary ClubHow: Cost is $39 for a full lug, $23 for a half lug, and all sales are on a first-come, first-served basis (no pre-sales)

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Annual Breakfast Rotary fundraiser is a peach of a deal