Amy and Tyler Jakubowski, owners of the Highland Cottage Cafe, are reviving a beloved Sugar Camp tradition with the return of the Polish Square, a community fun run and walk scheduled for Saturday, May 16, at 9 a.m. The fundraiser aims to raise an initial $10,000 toward replacing playground equipment at Sugar Camp Park.
True to its name, the route follows a 6.8-mile square around Sugar Camp. Tyler Jakubowski credited Gloria Hanson, Cynthia Wallis and Sherri Dobbins as the event’s original organizers.
“It used to start at Moondance Bar and Grill,” he said. “Traditionally, after finishing the race, there was a small potluck of Polish food at Moondance. This year will be a little different, but it’s always been a great way for the community to come together, raise money for a good cause, get some exercise and enjoy good food.”
Jakubowski said his family participated in the Polish Square for many years and were inspired to bring it back after the Veterans Resource Center reached out to support the veteran-owned cafe. Jakubowski served 16 years in the Army National Guard as a UH-60 Black Hawk pilot and retired with the rank of chief warrant officer 3.
The Veterans Resource Center is donating food for the event, including hot dogs, hamburgers, buns and chips, along with use of its grill.
When deciding to revive the Polish Square, Jakubowski said he and Amy wanted the fundraiser to support a project that would benefit the entire community.
“There had been some discussions about the aging playground at our town park — the equipment is more than 25 years old — so we thought that would be a great project we could raise funds for.”
While $10,000 was selected as an achievable fundraising goal to help launch the project, Jakubowski noted additional funding will likely be needed to fully replace the playground equipment.
The route will follow Camp Four Road, Pine Lake Road, Highway D and Highway 17 before returning to the Highland Cottage Cafe. Participants are not required to complete the entire route, and drivers will be available along the course to pick up anyone who would like a ride back.
Following the run/walk, attendees can enjoy food provided by the Veterans Resource Center, while the Lesnicki family will prepare Polish hunter’s stew. A live band will perform on the patio, where beverages will also be available for purchase, with proceeds benefiting the playground fund. The cafe will additionally donate 20% of its coffee and breakfast sales from inside the restaurant on the day of the event.
Since announcing the return of the Sugar Camp tradition, Jakubowski said community support has been strong.
“We’re expecting more than 150 people to participate. We also have a ton of people offering to volunteer, along with an overwhelming response from local businesses wanting to sponsor the event.”
Beyond the fundraising goal, Jakubowski said he hopes the Polish Square brings people together and becomes an annual tradition once again.
Day-of registration begins at 7:30 a.m. Registration costs $35 and includes a T-shirt (while supplies last) and lunch. Once T-shirts run out, registration will drop to $15 and will still include lunch.
The Highland Cottage Cafe is located at 6704 Highway 17 in Sugar Camp. Parking will be available across the street at the town hall. For more information, contact Amy or Tyler Jakubowski at 715-499-8323 or message the Highland Cottage Cafe on Facebook.
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