Saint Paul to Kosovo August 8th, 2004

On Sunday, August 8th, 2004, a special delegation of Saint Paulites traveled across the globe and served a hometown steak dinner to over 800 Minnesota National Guard Members – and 700 others troops from the multi-national brigade - stationed in Kosovo. Complete with a Saint Paul Irish band in the background, our troops in harm’s way received a unique message of support from our community. At the same time, back home in Saint Paul at the Xcel Energy Center, over 1000 of the Minnesota troops’ family members enjoyed their own Saint Paul meal and entertainment – all with the opportunity to speak directly on video with their loved ones overseas.

It was not just any meal for the troops, however. It was an actual Mancini’s steak dinner brought directly from home. After raising nearly $30,000 in cash donations and over $200,000 of in-kind donations, 16 Saint Paulites -- from restaurateurs to police officers to community leaders – orchestrated one of the first trans-global meals for the troops in history. Back home, hundreds of volunteers and local restaurants laid out an equally spectacular spread with all the trimmings. Add in a video link to allow dinner conversation between families and the recipe for a Sunday dinner at home is complete.

With extensive media coverage, it was estimated that over 2 million people in Minnesota saw or heard our message. Since the journey, similar video links have been organized across the country. Saint Paul’s unique project was not only an innovator, however, it remains a message of our city’s character in the form of an actual meal brought from home and served by a hometown team, with loved ones “on hand” via video to share the moment.

For Saint Paul, it was a way to say “thank you.” We believe the troops and their families heard it loud and clear.