Each year, I can’t wait to see the volunteer tomato seedlings pop up their heads in our Johnson family garden.
They are called “volunteers” because they sprout from wayward seeds that fell from ripe fruit the year before. (For instance, my family of rabid tomato-eaters probably spilled tomato “guts” right over the dirt.) Despite what any tomato seed packet would say about the temperatures these yellow specks can tolerate, the seeds lay in the garden all winter long waiting to root.
Each spring, with careful hands and eyes, we clear the garden soil with these bits of green in mind. We mark them or move them as needed, and even with the next several weeks' barrage of cutworms, deer, squirrels and errant Frisbees, they thrive. They bear fruit and nourish us.
Like our plucky tomato seeds, what started as just an idea — to many a foolish one — blossomed into KAXE / KBXE. For 49 years, the tenacity of our members, volunteers and staff has kept KAXE hardy, vibrant and unwilling to wilt in inhospitable conditions.
To everyone who supported us during our 2025 spring member drive, we say thank you for helping us persist. Thank you for preserving KAXE in a climate that makes our future seem uncertain. Are you curious about how KAXE is funded? Check out our Unplugged series, which lays out how exactly we keep going.
In terms of membership drives, we have three each year, to sustain our budget. Member drives are more than fundraisers; they showcase everything we bring to the airwaves: nature updates, authentic conversations, amazing music, local events, and even trivia. During our spring drive, we were flooded with supportive and joyful comments from this community that is not bound by geography but focused on Northern Minnesota.
We heard about how much you appreciate our KAXE News team, KAXE Morning Show, our amazing music team and our legion of volunteers — and don’t even get us started on how much everyone loves Green Cheese (especially paired with a nice Crabb sandwich).
This membership drive was a wonderful celebration of KAXE. Unfortunately, we fell short of our $35,000 goal. But here's the good news: You can still make a difference today. Your dollars power this radio you rely on.
By the Numbers
Despite not reaching our goal, we are so thankful for and proud of our staff, volunteers, and members who got us close!
- Funds: $32,851 raised! That’s 94% of our goal!
- Pledges: 162
- New Members: 43
- New Sustaining Members: 13
- And lots of renewing members and re-joining members!
Eight Highlights
Member drives are busy and intense, but it’s exciting to see everything and everyone come together. It’s hard to pick one favorite moment out of a whole week, so naturally I narrowed it down to eight:
- You all pulled together when we needed you and helped us earn new member matches as well as matches unlocked by a certain number of pledges. We are so grateful for these generous match incentives!
- If you’ve been listening for a while, you know what a treat it is to wake up to Senior Correspondent Scott Hall on The Morning Show. I enjoyed listening to Jennifer and Scott chat about KAXE history, sports and the classic T-shirt he had reprinted for us during this member drive.
- I delight in listening to stories about how you — our members — found KAXE / KBXE. (And also what you’re doing while listening, what your dog’s or cat’s name is or some completely different tidbit.)
- Volunteers Don and Janet brought kolaczki (traditional Czech cookies) to KAXE and KBXE and Janet and I briefly nerded out about old-time radio. (See how I sneaked three highlights into one item?)
- I got to sit in with some of my favorite on-air volunteers and chat about music, history, Star Trek and vinyl.
- I’m happy to say that in Bemidji, we KBXE-ers finally convinced Jay, one of our favorite station regulars, to become a member.
- Fueled by our love for music (and kombucha), Andrew Dziengel and I had a blast co-hosting On the River on Saturday afternoon.
- As always, we finished our drive with Green Cheese. Julie and Betsy Crabb and Heidi Holtan, as well as a few special guests and lots of clever callers, gave us nothing short of radio magic.
Thanks to longtime members and new members alike for powering this station during spring member drive and beyond. We appreciate each dollar, each kind word, each share on social media and each minute of volunteering. You keep us strong.
KAXE is looking forward to bringing you more of the music, news, conversations and events you love in the coming months.
