On Saturday, February 11, 2006 the 11th annual Minnesota Vikings Arctic Blast Snowmobile Rally was held in the Lake Mille Lacs Area. Vikings' owners Zygi and Lenny Wilf, team executives Lester Bagley, Rob Brzezinski, Steve LaCroix, and Steve Poppen along with current players Paul Edinger, Dustin Fox, Mewelde Moore, Richard Owens and Jermaine Wiggins participated in this year's event. Minnesota Vikings alumni including Bud Grant, Carl Lee, Bob Lurtsema, Dave Osborn, Jim Marshall, Darrin Nelson, Gerald Robinson, Curtis Rouse, Doug Sutherland, Mick Tingelhoff, Rickey Young and Paul Krause also attended the festivities.

Viking Children's Fund coordinator Patrick Leopold was pleased with the turnout and weather conditions at this year's event. "This year's weather finally cooperated and we were able to get out on the great trails surrounding Lake Mille Lacs. We were a little worried heading into it because of the lack of snow and warm weather, but during the week leading up to the event a few snowy days added to the accumulation and made the trail rides possible."

"Overall, this was a great year. We had thousands of participants ride on a beautiful fun-filled day. Each of the blast points planned some exciting extra activities to entertain the participants during their stops and the feedback so far has been tremendous."

The full day of activities was capped off by a fireworks display over the lake, a $40,000 prize party and a snowmobile giveaway at the Blue Goose Inn.

For the current roster players involved it was their first experience with the snowmobile rally. Mewelde Moore wasn't able to take part in the ride this year, but said "This weekend was a tremendous experience. The off the field fan support and community involvement for both the organization and the Viking Children's Fund really impresses me. I didn't get a chance to ride this year because of surgery on my wrist, but you can definitely count on me getting out there next year."

Tight end Jermaine Wiggins said, "This is a heck of an event. So many of our fans were involved and it was a great chance to interact with them. Plus it game me the opportunity to cruise around on a snowmobile. How much better can it get?" Vikings Defensive back Dustin Fox can't wait to get back next year saying, "I had a fantastic time. This is my first year attending, but as far as I'm concerned, I'm a lifer. As long as I'm a Viking, I would love to be apart of this event!"

All of the proceeds from Arctic Blast XI go to the Viking Children's Fund to support Upper Midwest Charities. Last year's event, which was hampered by a lack of snow, raised $37,000. This year's amount has not been tallied yet, but Leopold expects it will exceed last year's total.

Since its inception in 1978, the VCF has donated $7.35 million to Upper Midwest charities.

The Minnesota Vikings promoted their economic development plan for The Minnesota Sports, Retail and Entertainment Center to the Blaine City Council Thursday, February 16.

Within the presentation, the Vikings unveiled plans for a 740-acre development that includes retail shops and restaurants, residential housing, space for small businesses, corporate offices, a hotel, a medical facility and 260 acres of preserved wetlands, all of which will surround a new retractable-roof stadium for Vikings football and other sporting events throughout the year. Vikings' Owner and Project Developer Zygi Wilf also described his vision for the project, which includes $1 billion in private investment.

"This project is a tremendous economic opportunity for the city of Blaine, Anoka County, the Twin Cities area and the state of Minnesota," said Wilf. "We're offering to invest $1 billion in private capital toward a development that will bring in millions of visitors each year, add thousands of jobs to the economy and build the area's infrastructure."

Along with Wilf, Crawford Architects' Partner David Murphy presented the team's current masterplan and development concepts.

"The proposed Minnesota Sports, Retail and Entertainment Center represents the latest trends in mixed-use development," said Murphy. "It is an entertainment destination that will serve as a catalyst for development in Anoka County and Blaine for years to come."

To finish the presentation, SRF Consulting Group Principal Michael Monahan detailed the project's traffic and infrastructure issues.

"Appropriate transportation and other infrastructure planning is key to a successful development," Monahan said. "SRF is excited to work with the City of Blaine, Anoka County, Rice Creek Watershed District, MnDOT and other agencies to identify concerns and solutions on this project."