PHOTOS BY BRENNA WHITE / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
GLOBAL VISION … Growing Hope Globally CEO/President Kaitlyn Slate and Cork Rufenacht discuss the impact of community events like the Archbold Burger Bash.
ALL HANDS ON DECK … Volunteers of all ages helped keep the Burger Bash running smoothly, taking donations and serving meals with a smile.
By: Brenna White
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
A simple meal with a larger purpose brought the community together Sunday, May 3, 2026, as the annual Burger Bash returned to the Ruihley Park Pavilion.
For Archbold, this event continues a long-standing tradition of local giving with global impact.
Hosted by multiple area churches from the Archbold area, the event offered a free-will donation meal from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., welcoming anyone interested in sharing food and fellowship while supporting a broader mission.
The Burger Bash, which began in the early 2000s, has grown into a staple community event. It regularly draws hundreds of attendees and unites organizations, volunteers, and families with one common goal.
The goal? Providing sustainable tools to struggling communities overseas.
That mission is carried out through Growing Hope Globally, a Stryker originated nonprofit that has expanded far beyond its Northwest Ohio roots. Founded in 1999, the organization began with a simple idea: shipping crops overseas to fight hunger.
It quickly evolved into something more — using proceeds from donations and sales to help fund agricultural development programs in developing countries.
This helps third-world communities build long-term solutions rather than relying on short-term aid.
“Farmers learn how to farm, how to produce more with what they already had,” explained President and CEO of Growing Hope Globally Kaitlyn Slate.
“So, strategies in improving seeds, crop rotations, harvest loss, all of that, but they are working with communities to find obtainable solutions.”
That emphasis on sustainability is what drives events like the Burger Bash. Funds raised through the annual gathering are directed towards projects that prioritize self-sufficiency, with Archbold often focusing on water-related initiatives.
Organizer Cork Rufenacht noted that while many of the communities receiving aid have the labor and determination to complete the projects, they often lack the financial resources needed to get started.
Donations help bridge that gap, providing tools, materials, and funding so communities can build the infrastructure themselves.
“We are really focused on this idea of connection and community,” continued President Slate.
“We are called Growing Hope Globally because in many ways, we grow hope. In the U.S., with the community events, churches of different denominations come together to do something – because everyone agrees that it is important to help our global brothers and sisters.”
“This is just one of over a hundred in the Midwest using their talents and ideas to do something.”
The impact of those contributions is tangible. It was noted that even relatively small donations can make a significant difference, with $55 often being enough to change the trajectory of a person’s life. Over the years, almost $785,000 have been raised through the Archbold Burger Bash.
Beyond the financial impact, the organization also has a broader message: using local strengths to create global change.
In Northwest Ohio, that often means farming knowledge and resources being transformed into opportunities for others around the world.
Through community-driven efforts like the Burger Bash, that connection continues to grow year after year. Kaitlyn Slate sums it up best: “Each of us can do something, but together, we can do something big.”
