Most weeks the Great Bend Tribune reports on at least one fundraiser that involves food. We can mark our calendars by pancakes, spaghetti or homemade chicken-noodle soup. In the coming weeks we’ll have several opportunities to sample some food specialties by local cooks. In so doing, we may actually be helping others.
Start with Prince of Peace Altar Society’s Kolache Bake and Take this afternoon at the St. Rose Auditorium. On Sunday, St. Mark Lutheran Church Soup Lunch will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Church Fellowship Hall at 21st and Jackson. For a freewill offering, participants can choose homemade taco soup or chicken noodle with butterball soup, and homemade dessert.
Barton County Association of Churches is planning its annual Soup Supper from 4:30-7 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 29, at the Prince of Peace Parish Center. A freewill donation will be taken for servings of soup and pie or cake. Money raised will support the Barton County Emergency Aid Association.
It’s not just churches; on Saturday the Masonic Lodge will hold a sausage pancake feed from 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the lodge, 1917 17th St. Funds are for high school scholarships.
 It’s also not just fundraisers. On Saturday people who attend a model airplane fly-in can get a free hot dog, and those who attend events open to the public, such as the Rosewood Rodeo, will be able to purchase concessions. These are just fun events that let the public know more about a group or service.
That’s only a sampling of the smorgasbord available to sample in the coming weeks. Check the Breakfast Briefing on page 2 of any day’s Tribune, or the Church News on pages 7 and 8 of today’s paper, for others.
In many cases, it is possible to skip the food and just donate to the cause, or to carry out meals to eat at home. But consider going with the crowd at least once this month. A community meal is a great way to see your neighbors or meet new people. You may even find a group you’d be willing to make noodles with – or wash dishes with – next time around.
Susan Thacker