09/29/2026
Hello Everyone,
Let me first say, Katie was loved by us all. She came into the club a couple years ago and was an absolute ray of sunshine as a customer. As we got to know her, she shared her dream of operating a nutrition club. She joined our team alongside Tanisha and my husband Deano to learn the business and took over club operations this January.
When we rebranded Nutrition Gone Wild in 2023 it was because there were already 5 "Lincoln Nutrition" social media sites across 3 states, making it ultra confusing to find the Fergus Falls location. A completely new team was coming into the market (after being closed some months) to bring back awesome nutrition and friendly vibes. Everything was reimagined from the logo to store decor to the menu.
When news of Katie's passing came last week, our hearts absolutely broke. For her shortened life. For her kids and family. For her loyal customers who loved her smile and serving of Happiness in a Cup. For so much more.
And we (her Herbalife team of friends and sponsors) immediately started to brainstorm how to help the family financially. Two t-shirts were created to raise money (one by Eliza and one by our mutual friend Bri) and we wanted to offer doing an in-club fundraiser to sell Katies product and pass along all sales income to family.
The tea kit fundraiser is as straightforward and legitimate as posted. 50% of total sales will be given back to the family. As of this memo, that's $842 and we owe a huge thank you for your support.
We understand there is some confusion in the marketplace about the future operations of Nutrition Gone Wild. Questions have been asked about who will continue behind the bar, how will club credit and gift certificates be handled, will the hours change. There are business dynamics involved that everyone will probably never know, let alone understand.
And it feels so wrong, in the midst of a loss. For that I'm particularly sorry.
Over 20 years ago we lost my husbands 17 yr old son in a car accident outside Perham. What I know is that it's an awful time for the family left behind. For us, any help was appreciated.
I'm not sorry for putting together a fundraiser to support Katies family. Could I have given more details, yes. Again, in the midst of loss, you don't always have the right answers or actions.
Our hope, is that the business continues to be strong regardless of who is behind the bar. More than that, I hope and pray Katies kids, family and friends find peace. She will be deeply missed.
Sincerely,
Tracy Handt
