{"id":283641,"date":"2025-11-10T17:41:09","date_gmt":"2025-11-10T17:41:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/283641\/"},"modified":"2025-11-10T17:41:09","modified_gmt":"2025-11-10T17:41:09","slug":"oktoberfest-in-rochester-raises-record-funds-for-mental-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/283641\/","title":{"rendered":"Oktoberfest in Rochester Raises Record Funds For Mental Health"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News<\/a>)– What started five years ago as a community gathering to spark conversation and hope around mental health has grown into one of Rochester\u2019s<\/a> most powerful local fundraisers.<\/p>\n

SEE ALSO:\u00a0Rochester Named One of Just Six U.S. Cities in New National Small Business Program<\/a><\/p>\n

The 5th Annual Oktoberfest for Suicide Prevention<\/a>, hosted October 4 at The Haley Center, brought together nearly 2,000 people for a day of live music, local food, and connection all with one shared purpose: to support suicide prevention and mental health awareness.<\/p>\n

Oktoberfest for Suicide Prevention (Haley Comfort Systems)<\/p>\n

Oktoberfest for Suicide Prevention (Haley Comfort Systems)<\/p>\n

According to a press release sent out by event organizers, this year\u2019s event raised an incredible $164,426, the highest total yet. Proceeds will benefit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP)<\/a>, NAMI Southeast Minnesota<\/a>, and Aidan\u2019s Light<\/a>, three organizations dedicated to education, advocacy, and supporting those impacted by suicide.<\/p>\n

\"KROC-AMA Day of Community and Connection<\/p>\n

The event was hosted by The Haley Center tenants (Haley Comfort Systems, Active PT, Purple Goat, and Chip Shots) who worked together to create a space where conversations about mental health could happen openly.<\/p>\n

Local businesses and individuals stepped up in a huge way, donating 385 raffle items, helping make this year\u2019s raffle one of the most successful yet.<\/p>\n

Oktoberfest for Suicide Prevention (Haley Comfort Systems)<\/p>\n

Oktoberfest for Suicide Prevention (Haley Comfort Systems)<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were blown away by the turnout and kindness shown by everyone involved,\u201d said Nicole Haley, Event Organizer. \u201cWe met so many people who shared their personal stories of loss and resilience. It’s incredibly meaningful to see our community come together \u2014 not only to raise funds but to heal, remember, and bring hope.\u201d<\/p>\n

Honoring Loved Ones, Supporting Each Other<\/p>\n

The press release says that the event offered something more than fundraising for people who attended; it was a sense of belonging and understanding. For many, it was an emotional space to honor loved ones lost to suicide while showing support for those still struggling.<\/p>\n

READ MORE:\u00a0New Business Opening Soon By Planet Fitness in Rochester<\/a><\/p>\n

A check presentation ceremony was held on Friday, November 7 at The Haley Center, where representatives from AFSP, NAMI, and Aidan\u2019s Light were on hand to receive the donation.<\/p>\n

Oktoberfest Check Presentation at Haley Comfort Systems<\/p>\n

Oktoberfest Check Presentation at Haley Comfort Systems<\/p>\n

Over the last five years, the event has raised more than $500,000 for suicide prevention organizations. Plans are already in motion for the 6th Annual Oktoberfest for Suicide Prevention, set for Saturday, October 3, 2026.<\/p>\n

If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, visit the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline<\/a> website. Resource information is provided for free as well as a chat message service. To speak directly to a professional, call 988. You are not alone and help is available. Every life is important.<\/p>\n

20+ Things to Do Within 30 Miles of Rochester, MN<\/p>\n

Whether you live in Rochester, Minnesota or you’re just visiting, eventually you’ll be on the hunt for something to do. Here’s a list of 20 things you can do with your free time within 30 miles of Rochester, MN.<\/p>\n

Gallery Credit: Carly Ross<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News)– What started five years ago as a community gathering to spark conversation and hope…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":283642,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[4,450,451,983,3,149854,149855,149856,3364,452,453],"class_list":{"0":"post-283641","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-breaking-news","8":"tag-breaking-news","9":"tag-breakingnews","10":"tag-headlines","11":"tag-local-news","12":"tag-news","13":"tag-oktoberfest","14":"tag-rochester-minnesota","15":"tag-southeast-minnesota","16":"tag-suicide-prevention","17":"tag-top-stories","18":"tag-topstories"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/283641","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=283641"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/283641\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/283642"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=283641"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=283641"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=283641"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}