Warm hats, warm hearts? Giveaway shows newcomers we're actually pretty nice
Jun-Li Wang wants to make Minnesota winters and welcomes warmer for newcomers — in the form of floppy winter hats.
On Tuesday night at the Minnesota History Center, Wang gave away more than 100 Elmer Fudd-style winter hats in what she hopes will be the first of many Welcome Hat events in Minnesota.
Faux fur-lined ear flaps are a necessity for winters here, Wang said — something she's learned over 13 years in Minnesota.
"Part of me hopes that Minnesotans can become more welcoming, so that people do find a place really quickly," she said, "[in] one or two years instead of 10 or 20."
Create a More Connected Minnesota
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The project was funded by a $100,000 grant from the Knight Cities Challenge, which offers recipients funding in cities where the Knight family once owned newspapers.
Wang has begun planning Welcome Hat events throughout the winter at the History Center.
"We have funding to do this for a year," Wang said, "and my hope is that other organizations will see the value in this."
She hopes companies and organizations will continue to fund the idea, to help make people who move here more quickly feel part of the community.
Kyle Lehmkuhl is one of those people. He moved to Minnesota from Columbus, Ohio, in April, and said he's found Minnesotans to be nice, so far. But he's noticed that many of the people he meets stay entrenched in groups of friends they've known for years.
"There's definitely sort of a running joke about Minnesotans are great and they'll give you directions to anywhere but their house, right?" he said. "I think this particular event is a great way to make people feel welcomed and want to connect to the community and make connections."