Iowa Democrats cancel Wing Ding fundraiser

Iowa Democrats have opted to cancel the annual Wing Ding fundraiser due to concerns over rising COVID-19 case numbers in Iowa.

The Wing Ding was scheduled to take place this week in Clear Lake at the Surf Ballroom. But according to Wing Ding organizer Randy Black, rising COVID-19 numbers made safety take priority over the event.

COVID-19 cases “got to a point where we had to think about keeping people safe," Black said. "With COVID getting rampant, we didn't want to be looked at as a superspreader event.

“We take care of human lives."

With the Wing Ding canceled, the Iowa Democratic Party’s focus now shifts to the 20th anniversary Wing Ding on Aug. 12, 2022.

However, Black left the door open for a potential event between now and the spring, if COVID-19 cases fall again.

“If we can come up with something between now and spring we will," Black said.

The Iowa Democratic Wing Ding is a joint fundraiser organized by numerous Iowa county Democratic groups to host speakers and give networking opportunities to attendees. The core is formed by Butler, Cerro Gordo, Floyd, Franklin, Hancock, Kossuth and Winnebago counties. Initially, the fundraiser was a joint project for Hancock and Winnebago.

Due to the pandemic, the 2020 iteration went virtual. In 2019, the event hosted candidates for president including President Joe Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, current U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Amy Klobuchar. Tickets that year sold for $35 apiece and were gone by a little more than three weeks after the slate of speakers was first announced.

2007 was one of the banner years for the Wing Ding as planners were able to recruit then-Sen. Barack Obama as the keynote speaker.