The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
The Rotary Club of Flin Flon didn't make any friends in the crustacean community last Saturday evening. But that was a small price to pay as the organization raised thousands of dollars for local projects with another successful Lobster Fest. A hungry crowd of 350 people packed the R.H. Channing Auditorium, dining on lobsters plucked from a boiling bath as part of an entertainment-filled evening. 'It was a success other than we didn't sell out,' said Tim Smith, co-chair of the event, noting that there was room for another 50 guests. Smith couldn't remember the last time the Lobster Fest _ also known as Lobster Night _ failed to have every seat sold. A higher purchase price for the lobsters also ate into the profits, but the Rotarians still expect to bring in about $10,000 from the evening. The club ordered hundreds lobsters from the East Coast. The clawed crustaceans had been cooked on site before being loaded into styrofoam coolers destined for Flin Flon. Once here, the sea-bred main courses were tossed into tubs of boiling water outside the auditorium entrance before being placed on the plates of eager patrons. By the end of the night, not a single lobster remained. If seafood wasn't up their dining alley, guests had the option of steak or chicken, complemented by the standard array of side dishes. A post-dinner social, complete with the musical stylings of The Usual Suspects, rounded out the evening. Smith, whose father Glenn also co-chaired the event, said he has heard the local band play a number of times, but they sounded exceptionally good Saturday. Consisting of Rob Mote, Dave Gunn, Mark Kolt, Wayne (Beaner) Deans and Dennis (Rugged) Hyndman, The Usual Suspects belted out one favourite after another. At one point the band was joined on stage by local musician Natalie Milligan, who sang a couple of tunes backed by the band. Proceeds from the evening will help the Rotarians with the many community projects they support. The club is currently looking at a seniors housing project, and has also been pumping serious dollars into Rotary Park, Camp Whitney and other initiatives. The Rotarians are now getting ready to sell french fries at next month's Boot Sale fundraiser hosted by their sister organization, the Inner Wheel Club. They will also host a pancake breakfast as part of the Trout Festival and this fall will hold a Poker Night and a Dream Draw that awards trips to a variety of exciting destinations.
