As detailed in an article I wrote for the Wright County Monitor this week, the Catholics of Wright County buck the national trend of having fish for Lent, serving Swiss Steak at St. John's in Clarion, instead. And so here it's up to the Lutherans to hold the annual Friday Fish Fries, which they held twice in March. Once on Friday the 10th, and again last Friday, the 24th – at Eagle Grove Evangelical Lutheran Church (EGELC).
Billed as the "Fry-Day Night Lenten Fish Fry" they served "Big John's Famous" all you can eat fish, prepared by John Kauffman, leading a team of volunteers. And the meal was served with a baked potato, pasta salad, roll, dessert, and a drink. The proceeds benefited the EGELC Mission Youth Trip. And it was just one of several opportunities to feast for a good cause this past week.
This year, the trip will take local teens to Port Charlotte, Florida, to help rebuild homes that were damaged by hurricanes. Though, of course, there will be fun activities too.
"The work is really fun, actually," said Lily Locke, 14, a freshman at Eagle Grove High School who went on her first mission trip last year, to Grand Isle, Louisiana.
Skylar Preno, 15 and also a Freshman at Eagle Grove High School will also be taking the trip for the second time. Her favorite part of the experience, "walks with pastor on the beach," where some wisdom was shared, she said. Although she also appreciated napping after hard work, which she reported was some quality sleep.
Dustin Dawson, who has been on the past few missions, said that the hard part for him this year will be that now he's going as an adult. "I was an adult the last time, but this time I'm going as one of the adults, as a chaperone." Which, Dawson said, meant he would have to work all that much harder, to set a good example – though he didn't seem daunted.
Hailey Olson, 13, an 8th grader at Robert Blue Middle School wasn't sure if she'd be able to go this year, though she hoped so. Her favorite parts of the trip last year? "The ocean and stuff," she said, adding, "and the gatherings that we had." And, for kids who weren't sure if they'd like to go, Olson had the following advice: "If you can, at least go once – you can go and see what it's like."
As for the fish fry, it lived up to the promise of all you can eat fish fry – in fact at the end of the night they were offering fish to take home. But as for potatoes, it was another story. Fortunately, as one diner pointed out, "they didn't call it an all you can eat potato fry, did they?"
