Why does All Craft sponsor youth programs in Southeast Minnesota? Well, if you’ve lived in southeast Minnesota long enough, you know how important youth sport programs are to small towns. Baseball in Plainview-Elgin-Millville. Fishing in Kasson-Mantorville. The Rochester Area Builders Youth Sporting Clays Shoot. And so many others. They’re more than ways to keep kids busy—they’re lessons in teamwork, responsibility, and respect that last long after the season ends.
That’s why we choose to sponsor them.
Baseball has been a community glue for generations. Bulldog Youth Baseball, founded in 2010, gives kids in PEM the chance to get out on the field, learn the game, and practice showing up for one another. The program serves ages 8U through 17U, playing in local leagues like Winona County Little League and Zumbro Valley. Coaches emphasize fundamentals, teamwork, and sportsmanship while making sure kids have fun and build life skills that stick well beyond the diamond (bulldogyouthbaseball.sportngin.com).
Fishing sounds simple, but the KM Youth Fishing Team teaches more than how to reel in a bass. Open to students in grades 1–12, the program combines fishing outings, conservation lessons, and tournaments to help kids learn safety, patience, and confidence. Since starting in 2020, membership has grown quickly, giving more students the chance to experience the outdoors in a safe and structured way (kmyouthfishingteam.com; Dodge County Independent).
For several years, All Craft’s own Corey Keene has volunteered at the Rochester Area Builders Youth Sporting Clays Shoot. He put it best:
“It’s such a privilege to watch these kids, really dedicated to their sport and also learning great lessons about responsibility and safety.”
The annual event draws high-school shooting athletes from across southeast Minnesota. Along with providing a safe, competitive environment for learning marksmanship, the shoot raises funds for scholarships that support students heading into construction and trades programs after graduation (Rochester Area Builders).
