About Us
Our mission is to support cheer programs, spirit groups, and underserved activities that benefit youth.
Our vision is to be the leading force in providing opportunities that help youth excel, lead, and thrive in all areas of life.
Our values are:
Passion | Accountability | Community | Excellence
The Beginning
In 2010, a few parents of Coon Rapids High School competition cheerleaders joined the Booster Club for the Coon Rapids competition cheer team. The next year, we served on the board, and later, we set up the Club as a nonprofit organization.
Our daughters had a great experience with competition cheerleading. They developed lifelong friendships, learned teamwork, commitment, perseverance, and leadership. They earned trips to Florida for national competitions as a reward for their hard work. They had FUN! Along the way, our love of cheer grew, too.
Vision for the Future
After our girls graduated, we continued to run the Booster Club. But, now we had a vision. A vision of starting our own program that could help build a love for the sport of cheerleading in others. A vision of providing skills training at an affordable price so students could start learning earlier, and a vision that those students would feed into area schools to make those teams even more competitive. That way, they could have an opportunity to have a positive experience like our daughters had. And, eventually, maybe, we could even have our own teams that could compete at the all-star level. We had become life-long “cheer moms.”
Building the Future
To accomplish all that, we began a charitable gambling operation, called Competition Cheer Spirit Booster Club, to support our program. As of 2026, we are now known as Midwest Cheer Association. We are now a $22 million operation as of our last fiscal year, with 32 employees.
In June 2020 – in the middle of the pandemic – we hired a program director. She immediately began building a program that fit our vision, and AMP Athletics was born. On August 12, 2021, AMP Athletics had its Grand Opening, and our dream was alive!
Expanding our Reach
In 2024, we launched the Midwest College Cheer Combine to further advance the sport of cheerleading, especially in the Midwest. This recruiting event is designed to connect cheerleader athletes with colleges so they can continue their cheerleading journey at the next level.
Looking Ahead
In the years to come, we are looking forward to doing much, much more to support the sport of cheerleading region-wide, and the youth in Coon Rapids and the surrounding communities.
How We Operate & Our Partners
CharitAbleMN is supported largely through charitable gambling. Proceeds from these operations help fund our mission and allow us to support youth cheer and community-based initiatives. You can support our mission by visiting the establishments that host our charitable gambling operations.
Board & Governance
CharitAbleMN is led by a volunteer board of directors that are committed to our PACE values -- Passion, Accountability, Community, Excellence. Board members bring experience in youth athletics, nonprofit leadership, and community engagement.
Get Involved
CharitAbleMN’s work is made possible through community partners, volunteers, and supporters who believe in expanding opportunities for youth. Together, we help athletes excel, lead, and thrive in all areas of life.
CharitAbleMN is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
EIN: 45-3073299. All donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law.
Our Team
Dedication. Expertise. Passion.
Since our inception in 2010, CharitAbleMN has been a woman-led organization, but we welcome anyone with a passion for supporting youth through cheerleading and other youth activities to join our board.
Kelley Welf, President
Member since 2010
Kelley enjoys serving on the Board because it’s gratifying to see dreams become reality while helping others. She enjoys going to the lake, stamping cards, snowmobiling, and spending time with family and friends. She is a graduate of Columbia Heights High School and Augsburg College, MN.
Lauryn Barron, Vice President
Member since 2015
Lauryn is serving on the Board because she wants to grow the world of cheerleading. She enjoys snowmobiling, going to the lake, and spending time with family and friends. She graduated from Coon Rapids High School, MN. and the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire.
Krista Wigen, Secretary
Member since 2016, 2022
Krista enjoys being able to bring cheerleading opportunities to those that wouldn't have been able to otherwise pursue cheer. She loves her job, kayaking, and Barre workouts. She graduated from Coon Rapids High School and the University of Minnesota- Twin Cities.
Jacqui Larson, Treasurer
Member since 2024
Jacqui loves helping others and wants to help kids be more active and involved in sports and activities they love. She enjoys reading, hiking, kayaking, fishing, and anything that involves being outdoors. She graduated from Coon Rapids High School, and Minnesota State University-Mankato.
Tracy Wigen, Gambling Manager
Member since 2013
Tracy enjoys serving on the Board because she wants to watch youth thrive through cheerleading and work together to give them an opportunity that may have been out of reach, and to help them believe in themselves through this organization’s good work. She enjoys binge-watching Netflix, spending time with family, and searching for the next place with sand to take a vacation. She graduated from Fargo, ND.
Kelly Barron
Member since 2024
Kelly joined the board to be part of an organization that gives back to the community where she grew up. Being on the board provides an opportunity to support kids being active and having fun. She is a mother of 5 amazing kids, a Registered Nurse, and loves going to concerts and spending time with her family in Minnesota and Wisconsin. She graduated from Grace High School in Fridley, MN.
Virginia Blom
Board Member since 2023
Virginia joined the Board because it gives her an opportunity to make a difference in the the lives of youth and/or the community, hence giving her a sense of accomplishment. She enjoys her family as they are everything to her, especially her children. She is very involved with her church, likes watching funny skits like reruns of the Golden Girls and traveling between Minnesota and Washington State. She graduated from Brooklyn Park, MN.
Kim Dodge
Member since 2024
Kim joined the Board because because I strongly believe in its mission and purpose. She feels CharitableMN is not only making a positive impact on our local communities but is also shaping a brighter future for the next generation. She enjoys enjoy spending time with her husband and four children; cheering them on in the sports activities they participate in, and spending quality time as a family. She graduated from Brooklyn Park, MN.
Darcy Hanson
Member since 2023
Darcy enjoys serving on the board because she enjoys helping the youth of her community. She enjoys spending time with her family, making royal icing cookies and playing B-I-N-G-O! She graduated from Elk River, MN.
Ruth Hoglund
Board Member since 2016
Ruth enjoys serving on the Board because she enjoys supporting the youth in our community in various ways. She enjoys stamping cards, scrapbooking, and spending time with family and friends. She graduated from St. Francis High School.
Heidi Holden
Board Member since 2022
Heidi enjoys serving on the Board because she wants to help youth succeed in our community. She enjoys reading, spending time outdoors with family and friends and traveling to new places. She graduated from Brooklyn Park, MN.
Karen Johnson
Member since 2010
Karen likes serving on the Board because she wants to help support underfunded youth programs in our local and surrounding communities. She enjoys spending time with family, and her dogs, ice fishing and fostering kittens, as well as traveling between Minnesota and Texas. She graduated from Spring Lake Park, MN.
Allison Knighton-Johnson
Member since 2025
Allison has a passion for the sport of cheerleading, and wants to see it grow throughout Minnesota and the Midwest. She believes creating opportunities for youth athletes to participate in sports and activities without financial barriers is a meaningful mission, and providing a space for youth to develop the lifelong skills that sports produce, regardless of background, is special to her. She enjoys coaching cheerleading, crafting, and spending quality time with her husband and their dog! Allison graduated from Rock Hill Senior High School in Ironton, Ohio, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Justin Larson
Member since 2025
Justin joined the board to help boost opportunities for cheerleaders in Minnesota! He has coached at smaller, rural schools for 12 years and is passionate about making cheer more accessible in our rural communities. A graduate of Osseo Senior High, he earned a biology education degree from Saint Cloud State as well as a Master's degree in Athletics and Activities Administration from Saint Thomas, and a high school chemistry endorsement from Hamline. In his spare time, he is a travel softball dad, coaches club volleyball, and loves listening to music, and will do some DJing from time to time.
Derek Nelson
Member since 2025
Derek wants to help expand cheerleading across the Midwest by ensuring coaches have the resources they need and that cheerleaders gain life-changing opportunities. He has two decades of experience working with youth and coaching, and was Executive and Coaching Director of the Minnesota Jets. Derek and his wife are foster care providers. His passion is working with youth and coaching cheerleading. He enjoys fishing, collecting his "nerd items," smoking meats, and spending time with friends and family.
Join Our Board
What We Look For In A Member
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The Board of Directors of CharitAbleMN meets on the third Monday of every month (except July and December) at 6 p.m.
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Our meetings are held via Teams or at the Coon Rapids Civic Center.
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Board members serve two-year terms, which may be renewed.
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We would like to grow our Board of Directors. We are looking for people with a passion for youth and supporting youth programs and activities.
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We are especially looking for people who reside in Coon Rapids, MN, and people willing to leverage their personal or professional connections, networks and resources to further the reach of the organization.
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The CharitAbleMN Board can have up to 21 directors. If you would like to be part of enAbling programs that benefit youth, please contact our Membership Committee Chairman for more information.
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Apply Now by emailing membership@charitablemn.org
Our Expectations
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Carry out the organization’s mission and purpose
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Strategic and organizational planning
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Fiduciary and financial oversight
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Monitoring programs to ensure they are mission-centered
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Strengthen the public image and awareness of the organization in the community
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Continually assess the organization’s effectiveness
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Willingness to attend and be prepared for board and committee meetings
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Participation on at least one Committee
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Volunteer to attend/participate in events and community activities that build awareness for CharitAbleMN
Get Involved
Guess what? You do not need to serve on our board to serve on a Committee! If you want to help support youth, but can't quite commit to becoming a board member, you can still help by joining one of our Committees. Below are two committees where urgent help is needed. Won't you join us?
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Program:
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Help plan our events and programs by:
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Seeking sponsorships
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Desktop research
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Help create and send e-mail invitations
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Marketing:
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Help plan and post social media
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Create marketing collateral for events
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Create graphics for board member recruitment
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Our Charitable Gambling Locations
CharitAbleMN
Address: 10250 Foley Blvd. NW #48571
Coon Rapids, MN 55448
EIN: 45-3073299
CharitAbleMN is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
All donations are tax-deductible.
