On November 13th there was a special event at The Studio Downtown: Shop For Jenny. This boutique
experience benefited student athletes and honored the memory of beloved Jenny Wiederholt-Pine. Never one to stand still, Jenny was active in all aspects of life, coaching her kid’s sport team, helping out at her family’s supper club, or serving on the Hastings School Board. Jenny lived life with energy, and athletics played a big role in her life. Kate Sauer, a friend of Jenny’s, worked with Cheryl Wiederholt, Jenny’s mother, to organize this boutique event. Sauer gave KDWA a recap of this boutique experience and how this event came to be.
“We had an event in Hastings at The Studio Downtown, and it was called Shop For Jenny. We started this event because her mom said that she wanted to start a foundation in (Jenny’s) name. One way we could do that was by selling all of Jenny’s amazing designer items. Which could be from the bottom of your feet to the top of your head, she was the classiest but most modest person I ever met in my life. And she just knew how to dress and definitely knew how to shop. So, I just helped; um, I consigned a lot of clothes. Sold a lot of clothes online for her. And then one day I was like, ‘How can we do this in a bigger way?'”
Where do the proceeds for Shop For Jenny go? Sauer explains.
“The proceeds for this event and any proceeds in the future and any donations will go to student athlete scholarships. The money will all go into a foundation, The Jenny Wiederholt-Pine Foundation. And all the money will go to student athletes. Her mom, (Cheryl Wiederholt), has actually already—I have earned money from selling things already—and she has already given out, I believe, at least two scholarships: one in Hastings, and then she graduated from Winona State. So, she’s already given out two scholarships. It’s very exciting.”
With the focus on academics and athletics, Sauer shares a few sports that were close to Jenny’s heart.
“Jenny was very into soccer. That was her thing. Horseback riding, but very into horses. And she was just so unique to go from on the field to a classy businesswoman to riding a horse. She could just really do anything. Sports was huge to her. She coached. She coached her son’s baseball team. She coached soccer for the boys and for Courtney.”
When asked, ‘Why was this the right time to host Shop For Jenny?’ Sauer said this:
“So as far as the scholarships and her mom and dad starting this foundation, I felt like the sale this was the right time. I was kind of in a panic because I had to get a lot together right away. But I really wanted it close to Christmas, but not too close to Christmas. Like this is a time where, especially in downtown Hastings because of its hustle and bustle, it’s just a beautiful time of the year. People are out and visiting and holiday things. So, for me it was like, ‘OK, let’s get it done before Christmas.’ People are out, and there’s shopping. And that they would know that all the money they are spending is going to go towards student athlete scholarships. So, you were doing good while you needed to shop already. So, it was perfect.”
Sauer wanted the community to remember Jenny Wiederholt-Pine and shared a few words.
“I feel like everybody has their own personal experiences and stories, but she really was just—I’ve heard the word ‘powerhouse’—she really was just an incredible person that impacted every life that she touched and some lives that she didn’t touch. She…She was just a powerhouse.”
If you would like to donate to the Jenny Wiederholt-Pine Foundation, you can make a donation at the Vermillion State Bank in Hastings or in Rosemount.