We're bringing it back! It's been about 18 months since we last posted a "Faces of AAO!" But with #AquaWeek2018 behind us, we'd like to reintroduce you to some of our volunteers! Kacey Gregerson is the face behind the AAO social media, press releases, and answering messages through the communications email! How did you first hear about the Aquatennial and why did you get involved? I was first introduced to the Aquatennial when I was Miss Winthrop in 2001. I participated in th

Please welcome Ken Hafften as the new volunteer Archivist for the Aquatennial historic collection at the Hennepin History Museum. He has had over 47 years serving the festival, beginning in 1972, bringing his passion for Aquatennial to the public. He has served as: Vice Commodore; Vice Commodore of Skipper Pins; Vice Commodore of Parades; Vice Commodore of the Mississippi Showcase; and General Festival Chairman. For the past seventeen years Pam Albinson (1962 Queen of the Lak

Minneapolis, MN  -  The Minneapolis Aquatennial Ambassador Organization (AAO) held the Aquatennial Ambassador Coronation presented by SPIRE Credit Union at Ted Mann Concert Hall where the 2018 Queen of the Lakes and Aquatennial Princesses were announced on Saturday. Queen of the Lakes Vanessa Gonzalez Vanessa is from the community of Northfield and is currently pursuing a double major in Spanish and Elementary Education at the University of Northwestern. Upon graduation she l

Minneapolis, MN The Minneapolis Aquatennial Ambassador Organization (AAO) revealed the 2018 Minneapolis Aquatennial Commodore and Captains at the Commodore's Dinner Thursday night. The 2018 Commodore is Bill McReavy - President of Washburn-McReavy Funeral & Cremation Services. The Captains are Kenny Devine - Assistant Account Executive at Padilla, and Quentin Moore - Director of Annual Giving at the YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities. Aquatennial Commodore Bill McReavy McReavy

Tickets for all AAO Events during the 2017 Aquatennial festival will be made available for purchase Thursday morning. Secure your tickets with 3 easy steps: Register Now, Add to Cart, and Checkout. Event and ticket information will be made available at www.aquatennialambassadors.com/events by 7:00 a.m. on June 1. Registration for ticketed events is not secured until full payment is received and all ticket sales are non-refundable. Proceeds of AAO Aquatennial Events benefit

We heard you and agree - The shipping & handling rates on the AAO Shop made purchasing single items difficult, so we're offering new delivery options with defined criteria. As a non-profit that doesn't have the budget of a major retailer to offset the cost to ship packages, the AAO Shop must pass the cost of doing business onto our customers in the form of shipping and handling fees. With our new delivery options during the checkout process, these costs can be reduced: Regis

Minneapolis, MN - The AAO announced SPIRE Credit Union as its official checking account provider and an official partner on its website Tuesday. It's no secret Aquatennial Commodore Dan Stolz is the President and CEO of SPIRE Credit Union. However, SPIRE's commitment to the Mission of the AAO has reached farther than any obligation of a Commodore during his one-year of service. In 2016, SPIRE sponsored the Rockin' the Waves Aqua Dance Party and an Alumni and AAO Member Dinne

Pre-sale, portals, tickets and more! As excitement builds for Aqua Week 2017, here is what you need to know to make the most out of the Best Days of Summer. First off, go to www.aquatennialambassadors.com/events for the complete list of AAO events, and how to register and buy tickets. Proceeds of AAO Aquatennial Events benefit the Aquatennial Ambassador Scholarship Program. For information on other Aquatennial events such as CenterPointe Energy Torchlight Parade or Target F

The AAO launched a new webpage for Aquatennial alumni and AAO members to access special benefits including pre-sale opportunities for AAO events. Alumni and current AAO members who have created an online account are now able to access the new portal at www.aquatennialambassadors.com/portal. The website will provide information on exclusive AAO merchandise, access to AAO event photos, pre-sale opportunities to AAO events, and more. To gain access to the portal, alumni and mem

All 2017 AAO Members are encouraged to complete 1 quick step to register their membership on the AAO website. Back in January, the AAO announced a new member benefit of pre-sale event opportunities. As we approach the Aquatennial and announcement of the AAO Events during the festival, members are encouraged to create their AAO website account now to receive these benefits. If members already have an AAO Shop account, they will still need to complete this step in order to acti

All alumni - regardless of recent involvement - are encouraged to register and submit their current contact information into a new digital database. Registered alumni will benefit from better communications and many new incentives. Over the years, the contact information for our Aquatennial Ambassador Alumni has become outdated and inaccurate while our alumni have experienced difficulties in providing updated information to the AAO. With the enhanced features of the AAO webs

Dan Stoltz, Aquatennial Commodore, and Sonja Weiler, Aquatennial Vice Commodore of the Candidate Division, were honored at the Minnesota DECA State Career Development Conference last Tuesday. The Minnesota chapter of DECA, an international association of marketing students that provides development opportunities for its members, held its State Career Development Conference last week in Minneapolis. Each year two prestigious awards are given at the conference, the Honorary Li

Before you start spring cleaning, donate your pieces of Aquatennial & AAO history to the Aquatennial Archive at the Hennepin History Museum - they may be worth more than you think. For decades the Hennepin History Museum (HHM) has been collecting memorabilia, newspaper articles, uniforms, photographs, publications and other items related to both the Aquatennial Festival and AAO. Much of this work has been collected and archived by former Queen of the Lakes and HHM Historian,

The Minneapolis Aquatennial Ambassador Organization held its inaugural Women's Expo at the University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business in Minneapolis on Saturday. Led by Aquatennial Captains, Sarah Schrader and Jim Ganger, the focus of the event was enhancing one's community involvement with tools for professional success. Participants were current and former ambassadors, ages 18 to 24, from communities and festivals across Minnesota. The event was the first in a serie

The AAO released its 2017 Aquatennial Ambassador Appearance Request and Honorary Commodore Nomination forms on its website Monday. Coordinators of community festivals, ambassador programs and other community organizations are encouraged to submit a request for Aquatennial ambassadors to attend and participate in their festival or special event. Local volunteer opportunities, ambassador coronations, parade participation, and visits to schools and senior living facilities are

The AAO announced Sunday of the launch of a Women's Expo to be held Saturday, March 4 at the University of St. Thomas Minneapolis Campus. The Expo will feature professional development seminars supporting young women ages 18-24 with experience serving in their community's ambassador program-as either a candidate or ambassador. The seminars will focus on enhancing one's community involvement with tools for professional success. The Expo will be led by Minneapolis Aquatennial

The AAO officially unveiled its 2017 AAO + Winter Carnival Friendship Pin on Wednesday on its new online store. The shared friendship and support for the Ambassadors and Volunteers of the Aquatennial Ambassador Organization and Saint Paul Winter Carnival spans far past the banks of the Mississippi River. The "Friendship Pin" was created in 2013 to showcase this unique relationship between the two organizations. The pin features five silver anchors that form a snowflake. Each

Commodore Dan Stoltz and SPIRE Credit Union recognized AAO volunteers and Timberwolves leadership for their contributions to the Twin Cities at Target Center on Saturday. A reception sponsored by SPIRE took place at the new Mayo Clinic Square Experience Center prior to the Timberwolves game versus the Utah Jazz. During a brief program, Stoltz (CEO of SPIRE Credit Union) gave his Commodore Medal to good friend Chris Wright, President of the Minnesota Timberwolves, and Ethan C

Are you an Aquatennial Ambassador Alumni, Member, Sponsor or past Volunteer or Candidate and have a LinkedIn profile? You are invited to add the AAO and your experience to your personal profile. Including your involvement and support of the AAO not only looks good on a resume, but will expose your LinkedIn connections to the AAO and its Mission. Unlike other social networks, LinkedIn provides a way to connect and network with people based on the companies and organizations

The AAO announced candidate registration for the 2018 Aquatennial Ambassador Crew will open February 15, 2017 via a video posted to its Vimeo channel and Facebook page on Monday. The video features photos of past candidates participating in the Aquatennial Ambassador Candidate Program and of the 2017 Aquatennial Ambassador Crew set to the song "Do or Die" by Afrojack and Thirty Seconds to Mars. The theme of the video emphasizes how "the story goes on" with memories that you'