The 62^nd annual Henderson Shrine Club Fish Fry is coming up – make plans to eat in or take out on Wednesday, May 13 at Tony’s Auto on Raleigh Road.

This is the second year at this location, and long-time Henderson Shriner Donald Seifert said the club is grateful for the partnership.

Seifert said, “Tony and his wife Tammy have been really good to us making their space available. As long as we can go there, that certainly would be our location of choice,” he said on Thursday’s segment of TownTalk.

Plates are $12 and will be served from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. But Henderson Shrine Club President Billy Currin shared some friendly advice: “I wouldn’t wait until seven o’clock” to pull up to the drive-thru lane or pull in to eat in at Tony’s 50’s diner-style establishment.

“I’m looking forward to May 13,” Currin said. “The community has always been gracious in supporting us and coming out.”

Last year’s fish fry was a good one – it netted about $10,000 for the Shriner’s Children’s Hospital in Greenville, S.C. Organizers are hopeful this year’s event will be just as good or even better.

Currin said nothing’s ever perfect, but last year’s fundraiser came pretty close.

“Last year was just about perfect, Currin said, who’s got 25 or so fish fry fundraisers under his belt. “Plates were on time – everything went well. We sold the last plate right at 7. It just worked out great.”

Jennifer Ellis has helped coordinate volunteers for at least 16 years and she said a key component is the assembly line, making sure the filled plates – 2 pieces of freshly cooked fish, slaw, potato salad and hush puppies – get to where they’re needed, whether that’s to keep the drive-thru flowing or inside Tony’s for those who want to dine in.

Ellis said, “It takes a lot of people to make this a success – for the children.”

It’s all for the children – children who get care at the Shriner’s Hospital – that volunteers, Shriners and the community come together each year to raise money.

“It warms my heart that everyone can come together for a good cause…our children hold a special place in our hearts,” Ellis said.

Contact Ellis at 252. 213.3685 if you’d like to volunteer to help. She’ll find a spot for you.

Over the years, Shriners, their friends and families have racked up countless volunteer hours to put on more than 60 fish fry fundraisers, which have contributed a cumulative $570,000 to the hospital, Currin said.

Families of Shriner’s Hospital’s patients don’t get a bill for the care their child receives. Neither do they have to pay for transportation, lodging or meals while they are there.

“I think that’s a great thing, especially this day and time,” Currin said. “The families are in a time of need – you’re worried about your child…lost wages. But you have a hospital to provide a service.

“To me, it does my heart well to take off a day from work to volunteer and give to the Shriner’s hospital. I just think it’s a great thing.”

The group also is bringing the calliope out of storage to provide its unique musical sounds to the event.

And there’s one more added bonus this year, thanks to Sanford – ice cream!

Eat-in patrons can purchase a cup of Tony’s famous soft-serve for $1.

WIZS Radio is sponsoring the ice cream extra by purchasing the ingredients, which allows each $1 donation to go directly to the Shriner’s Hospital.

Seifert said Durham Coca-Cola and Hager Rand with Rand Beverages is sponsoring beverages – Coke products, of course – that are available for purchase for eat-in customers, which adds to the net proceeds, too.

There are 20 Shriner’s Hospitals across the U.S. that provide world-class pediatric care regardless of a family’s ability to pay. Seifert said that’s what makes it such a worthwhile cause. “That’s one of the reasons our fish frys have been successful,” he noted. “Because people in our town and in our communities recognize it as a very worthy cause. And we thank them.”

Call Currin at 252.432.7286 if you need 10 or more plates delivered and he will make sure that happens.

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