I was driving through Richland Center on the way to the homestead on Friday afternoon, and passed a crowd of people beneath a large tent. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a sign with the words 'fish fry' and 'auction'. I love auctions and estate sales, and had been thinking about dinner, so whatever this was seemed like a good event to visit.
I turned around and was directed by friendly volunteers down a muddy path to park in a wet, grassy field. Anyone who has been to a local fair knows that weather can play havoc with these events, and the effects of the rain that rolled through earlier in the day were evident. Fortunately the storms were done and the sun was out. Attendees were making the best of things, happily splashing around in boots or in bare feet. I spend my summers wearing Keen sandals, so I fit right in.
This event was the 6th annual 'Gospel to Haiti' fundraiser. We had seen small signs around town the previous weeks, and I was a little surprised to see it happening. Nearly every other event I have read about the past 15 weeks has been canceled because of concerns over COVID-19, but these visitors were paying little heed to social distancing or masks. The volunteers offered a drive-through option for the fish fry, but I opted to take a chance and check things out.
I quickly learned that the auction was not until Saturday, but at least got to see some of the sale items. Donated items were typical rural fare, and ranged from toy tractors to a real John Deere 60 tractor, and from .22 rifles to a trailer of firewood. Maggie and I have a goal of winning a UTV by raffle, as that is the only way we can afford one, but there no raffle tickets to be had. There was a small bake sale, of which I am also a fan. I bought a small loaf of sourdough bread and a bag of chocolate chip cookies, all homemade.
I finally worked my way to the fish fry line. For a donation amount at your discretion, you got three pieces of fried Tennessee catfish, three hush puppies, beans, cole slaw, a soda, a bag of barbecue potato chips, and a slice of sheet cheesecake. There was also a hot dog option, but it did not look like a big mover. I opted to take my food home and not eat beneath the large tent, and carefully picked my way through the puddles back to the car. Maggie and I can report that all of the food was delicious - exactly what you would hope to find at a roadside summer festival in the countryside. I know the virus is not gone, and I hoped everyone would make it through the weekend healthy, but it was nice to see a small return to normalcy.
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