There are few community gatherings that last more than a few years. On occassion you may find a festival or annual church gathering with a few deaces of history behind the effort. Often visionaries gather, organize and promote events that are successful in the short term, but as time goes by and schedules fill up, folks have less time to put into events and the vision grays. An exception to the rule is the Fulton County Sportsmen’s Club who celebrated their 70th Annual Coon Dinner early this year in January.
The annual dinner that started in 1943 draws visitors from throughout Northwest Ohio, Southern Michigan, Northeast Indiana and in the past, even guests from as far away as Florida.
The fundraiser is a key component to the finances for the club. Proceeds help fund the club’s Kids Fun Shoot, Youth Trap Shoot, Fulton County FFA Chapter Trap Shoot Competition and other club expenses.
This year the dinner had a 17% increase in visitors over the previous year with 335 going through the door.
It is obvious from the name of the dinner that wild game is on the menu. If trying wild game is not your thing, the diner offers traditional favorites including roast pork & beef, chili, green beans and mashed potatos.
So how long does it take to pull off a diner of this size?
Cooking started at 5:30 a.m. with serving starting nearly 12 hours later. In all 10 Coon, 40 meatloaf, 60 squirrel, 50 rabbit, 5 beaver, 4 deer, 20 lbs of roast pork, 40 lbs of roast beef, countless boxes of potatoes, 11 gallons of green beans, (5) 20 quart roasters of chili made up just part of the effort.
Beyond the interesting all you can eat dinner, a large array of entertainment was also enjoyed from gambling to raffles donated by area businesses to help support the cause.
To find more information about the Fulton County Sportmen’s Club, visit their website at: http://www.fultoncosportsmenclub.org.