Tillsonburg's 25th Great Soup Kitchen - Feb. 20
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The recipe for the annual Tillsonburg News Great Soup Kitchen for the Heart & Stroke Foundation is not ‘broke.’
But there will be a couple of minor ‘fixes’ for its 25th anniversary celebration Wednesday, February 20 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at St. Paul’s United Church.
“No apples – sorry,” apologized coordinator Sharon Craig.
Craig was quick to point out the menu machination came at the hands of Mother Nature, rather than event organizers. The ramifications of the destruction of area apple blossoms in the spring of 2012 are being reflected in empty storage lockers.
“A tough apple year,” said Craig. “They said ‘count on us next year.’
“Prayers go out for no frost for 2013.”
There is an operational – and tasty - work-around however, she added, in the form of cakes and baked goods highlighting the 25th anniversary theme.
The other minor tweak is the fact traditionally, The Tillsonburg News Great Soup Kitchen is held right around Valentine’s Day. This year, the Tuesday prior to Valentine’s Day was also Shrove Tuesday – which admittedly has historical precedent even over the quarter-century tenure of the soup kitchen.
“The pancake people bumped us,” Craig laughed. “We’ll be a little bit later this year but still in the Heart and Stroke month of February.”
The inaugural event was held February 3, 1988, in response to a loss suffered by Stephen Molnar. He approached Cam McKnight and Walter Kleer at The Tillsonburg News with the idea of an event to benefit the Heart & Stroke Foundation, and the rest is a strong, 25-year history.
“Cam really picked up the ball with that,” credited Craig.
Heart and stroke personnel will be on hand Wednesday, bearing door prizes and passing out related information.
This year’s great soup kitchen – with the exception of the dessert apples – follows a tried and true recipe: for $7, patrons enjoy a wide variety of soup options, a sandwich, coffee or tea, and this year, a tasty treat for dessert. Soup options run the gamut from traditional chicken noodle, cream of mushroom or beef barley, through more eclectic options including cheddar ale, broccoli cheddar, hamburger, cabbage, butternut and pasta fagioli.
“There’s a really nice variety,” said Craig.
Tillsonburg News staff are supported in the endeavour by approximately 30 community donors, around 10 community volunteers (including OPP Inspector Tim Clark and Constable Stacey Culbert on the ticket booth) and members of the St. Paul’s United Church kitchen staff.
“They are always some very nice ladies there to make sure I don’t burn their kitchen down,” laughed an appreciative Craig.
The community looks forward to the event every year, said the coordinator, who anticipates a crowd in excess of the average 200 to celebrate what she hopes is only the first 25 years of an ongoing Tillsonburg News tradition.
“I’m up for it,” she concluded with a smile.