Search
-
1,720 Pounds of Fish - Makes for a Successful Event and Few Empty Stomachs
The Knights of Columbus are certainly known for making a splash in a community while raising funds for charities and other special causes. Even when their events draw in record-breaking crowds, their members still manage to keep up with the flow while turning a single occasion into great successes for others.
So how do they do it? It could be their motto, "In Service to One, in Service to All." It is truly service we all experience from the fraternal organization that has become deeply rooted in the Catholic Church, our parishes and our communities. One particular event several Catholics have especially grown to enjoy is the infamous fish fry that occurs during the Lenten season.
Therefore, as celebration on this first Friday in the Easter season, I thought it would be fun to look back at those recent fish fry days and share some fun facts about the dinners served by our very own Knights of Columbus, the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Council #12510.
For 12 years the Knights of Columbus have been serving the parish and Zionsville community fish dinners cooked from the very hands of its members. This year's fish fry events soared in attendance numbers. On the first day, a new milestone of 600 guests in a single night was achieved. The excitement did not stop there, nor did people's appetites. A new record attendance of 637 occurred on another single evening, an overall 3,397 dinners were served and 1,720 pounds of fish had been cooked throughout the entire Lenten season. Wow.
The Knights at St. Alphonsus Liguori have 207 members in their council. To complete the work for hosting a single fish fry it takes about 50 members of the Knights and an additional 6 to 10 youth volunteers. The process begins when the food shipment arrives on a quiet Thursday. Starting early on Fridays, Weitzel Hall is set up as coleslaw containers are filled, brownies sliced and hundreds of fish filets prepped for cooking. One evening takes an overall enormous effort, but for those who attended one of the dinners you would agree that the hard working volunteers still make the night fun for guests - especially when they came by with seconds!
Hearing all this great feedback, it was no surprise that when I asked what their secret ingredient was, I was told, "The Knights of Columbus motto." So there it is. Hats off to the men of our parish who are great stewards of service and five star "fish frying" chefs.
Knights of Columbus' next event: Be sure to make it out to the Knights of Columbus' next big occasion - the St. Alphonsus Cup Charity Golf Tournament. This award-winning annual event will take place on Saturday, May 21 to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity, the Special Olympics and other charities supported by the Knights. Visit www.stalkofc.com for more information.
