Officials for the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center are still looking for local residents to come support the center through food, fellowship, bids and even a prairie chicken mating dance.

The seventh annual Thanksgiving Feast fundraiser for the Hormel Nature Center will be held on Saturday at the St. Edwards Corcoran Center.

Tickets for the meal and auction cost $30, and there are still about 35 tickets available for the event — the nature centers biggest event of the year, said Larry Dolphin, director of the Hormel Nature Center.

Dolphin said the funds go to the many things families can do at the nature center.

“They understand the value of the nature center and what it brings to the community as far as opportunities for youth and family,” Dolphin said.

The total goal for the year is to raise $25,000 to $30,000. Dolphin said they’ve received $2,000 to $3,000 more than last year in private donations.

In the silent auction, many baskets of various items have been donated. Some of the baskets include things to use when watching a football game, and another is filled with things for young children.

The live auction will include 16 different packages for meals or trips. One trip is a Blue Bell Inn dinner and overnight package. Another is for Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings game on Nov. 29.

All the items donated in the auction are donated by local businesses and people.

Dolphin said the nature center keeps their costs for the event low, so most of the money goes to supporting nature center programs.

Some of the money goes into the buildings and materials at the nature center. Other money is going toward the kiosk that’s being built that Dolphin said they hope to finish by April.

Some of the money from the fundraiser also goes to paying for the nature center’s intern, who helps with many of the youth programs, Dolphin said.

Much of the money goes to support the programs at the nature center, many of which are free. The money also goes toward scholarships given to area students each year.

Dolphin said the nature center and its programs are important to the community and serve as a way for children to get out of the house and away from the television.

The support of the community is essential, Dolphin said. Without that, we would’nt be here.

There will be social time from 5 to 6:30 p.m. and a banquet at 6:30 p.m. The program, auctions and entertainment start at 7:30 p.m.

The entertainment will be the prairie chicken mating dance, where Dolphin, Alex Watson and Ryan Leveque will perform to impress the female prairie chicken, played by Amy Wacholz.