Elks dish up help for others with fish fry

SANDPOINT — The Sandpoint Elks Lodge filled bellies and bank accounts Friday evening with their annual fish fry on Friday.

A fundraiser that will support many activities in the coming months, the fish fry brought Elks Lodge supporters together for a great meal with catering by the Hoot Owl Cafe. The dinner attracted more than 80 people, who paid for the evening of fried fish and good company to support programs like Head Start, the Bonner County Fairgrounds and an upcoming Boat-O-Rama that is sure to provide some serious spectacle.

“We just want to raise some money for a few of these great programs,” Elks Lodge exalted ruler Jim Holt said.

The all-you-can-eat dinner certainly kept caterer Wendy Sater busy stocking the buffet with freshly-fried fish and other dishes. Meanwhile, the servers spent an evening on their feet clearing out plates and making sure attendees had everything they needed.

With around 84 tickets sold at $15 a pop, the event turned out to be quite successful. Even better, the Elks Lodge maximized their profits with cost-saving measures like handling the bar services themselves, according to past exalted ruler Bob Huyck.

“This is definitely one of our biggest fundraising events of the year,” he said.

All that adds up to good news for the supported programs, which provide a variety of services to the community. The local Head Start Program helps address educational and nutrition needs for low income families, while the Bonner County Fairgrounds provides a venue for kids and adults to learn a variety of ranching, farming and practical skills. Finally, the upcoming Boat-O-Rama promises to be an event of spectacular proportions. Planned by representatives from the Coast Guard Auxiliary, the Sandpoint Sailing Association and the Sandpoint Parks and Recreation Department, the event will put hundreds of boats out on the water to teach local youth the joys of boating.