Seeking funding for operating and building expenses

Sokol Minnesota was founded in St. Paul in 1872 in order to provide fitness and community for individuals and families through physical, educational, cultural and social programs. We have been at 383 Michigan since 1870 and our hall is the oldest national hall and theater in Minnesota, and the longest serving Czech-Slovak Hall in the United States. Our programs are strong, but our building demanding--which we could expect after nearly 125 years. This building is our second; the first burned down as did about twelve other Sokol Halls in the United States. So our first priority is a fire protections sprinkling system! Next will be updating our heating and air conditioning systems; our boiler, etc. has cost us thousands of dollars in the past couple years and we have no air conditioning. Next we'll deal with accessibility issues, elevator, restrooms, etc. We've a lot of challenges ahead of us!

Here is a summary of the philosophy of Sokol fitness: "The driving power behind America’s sport endeavor is the effort to reach the highest mark in a given task, to break a record and to get a medal or a ribbon; this feat naturally involves concentrated attention to one particular activity consuming, in the process a great deal of energy. In contrast, Sokols perform an entire series of physical exercises, including those on apparatus; thus, catering to every part of the body and exacting in an equal measure the participation of every mental and physical faculty... This consideration may be best illustrated by contrasting any football game to a mass display. Whereas in the former, only a comparative few play the game, in the latter thousands participate in the exercises; there are few spectators at these monstrous displays. Thus, the ultimate goal of Sokol is the cooperation and benefit of all.”