The 60th annual Shriner’s Fish Fry is coming up on Wednesday, May 8, and plans are well underway to provide another great plate of fish with all the sides to raise money for the Shriner’s Children’s Hospital.
The Tri-County Shriners will be out in full force from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. to provide plates of steaming hot fish at 210 Industry Dr., between Mako and Servpro.
Plates are $10 each and although tickets are available for purchase ahead of time, no ticket is necessary – the Shriners will happily take your money in exchange for a plate of fish, slaw, potato salad and hush puppies, said Donald Seifert, a Tri-County Shriner who spoke with WIZS on Thursday’s TownTalk.
“The lines flow smoothly and there’s very little waiting,” said Seifert, as he explained the easy, drive-through process.
Delivery is available for 10 or more plates. Contact Seifert at 252.438.8355 or Ray Fields at 252.813.7665 to set up a delivery on Fish Fry Day.
They planned for 1,700 plates at last year’s event, and Seifert said the club’s goal each year is to raise $10,000 for Shriner’s Children’s Hospitals. There are 22 hospitals and five burn centers across the country, all of which provide care and treatment – free of charge – for children up to age 18. Shriners also provide transportation to patients and a family member to receive the care they need.
“It’s one of the reasons our Shriners’ Fish Fry has lasted so long,” Seifert said. “It’s for a good cause.”
Last year’s proceeds approached the $10,000 goal, he said. “Our biggest days, we’ve exceeded the goal,” but he predicted that, on average, each fish fry has netted $8,000.
A conservative figure for the fish fry’s 59 years is just shy of half a million dollars.
The volunteers who help behind the scenes and on fish fry day have a good time together, Seifert said, “but there’s so much work to be done on the day of the fish fry, everybody has to be productive to turn out that many plates. It takes a lot of help.”
He said the Shriners appreciate the support of the community each year and they look forward to another successful fundraiser.
“The community has always turned out, and we’re thankful for that,” he said.
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