Number of Participants: 16
Hours Donated: 5
Value of Time Served: $2,783
Event Amount Raised: $1,114
Event Type: Health & Medicine
Activity: Other
School: Cotter High School
Date: February 2, 2026
Location:
Cotter Schools - John Nett Recreation Center
Vila Street, Winona
MN
About:
This fall, Cotter’s Powerlifting and Strength Training team held a successful fundraiser by selling “Cotter Strong” pink t-shirts. Thanks to the efforts of the student-athletes and the generous support of the Cotter community, $1,114 was raised and donated to the Winona Health Foundation’s Breast Cancer Fund, making a meaningful impact beyond the gym.
Ryan Mutzner, Cotter’s Associate Athletic Director and Powerlifting Coach, reflected on the fundraiser: “This event showed our athletes that ‘Cotter Strong’ isn’t just about what you lift in the gym, it’s about coming together as a team to help others.”
Members of the Winona Health Foundation, Imaging, General Surgery, and Cancer Care teams joined the Cotter Powerlifting team and coaches to accept the donation and speak with students about how the funds would be used. The donation is supporting patients undergoing breast cancer treatment through gas and grocery gift cards, as well as breast prosthetics known as Knitted Knockers, which provide comfort and dignity during recovery.
“It is an honor to receive this donation from Cotter’s Powerlifting and Strength-Training team, and we are deeply grateful for their support of our cancer patients,” said Anna Sibenaller, Community Coordinator at the Winona Health Foundation. “Visiting with the team was truly inspiring—these students and their efforts remind us that we are all caregivers and that philanthropy, at its core, is the love of humanity.”
Mutzner added, “We are grateful to the Cotter community for their support and to the Winona Health Cancer Care team for sharing their stories. Hearing firsthand how these funds will help patients made this experience powerful and unforgettable for our students.”
During the presentation, Winona Health representatives shared firsthand stories with the student-athletes, helping them understand how their fundraising efforts directly support individuals and families in the community. “We are extremely thankful to the Winona Health Cancer Care team for the work they do every day to support patients and families during some of the hardest moments of their lives,” Mutzner said.
Pictured are members of the Winona Health team, Roderick Baker, Kim Cramblit, Jill Ender, Colin Kennedy, MD, Angie Johannes, Heather Manfull, Sam Folkedahl, Shana Wieser, DNP-FNP, and Anna Sibenaller, alongside Cotter coaches Zander Rusert and Ryan Mutzner, and members of the Cotter Powerlifting team.
