First Posted: 2/27/2015
KALIDA — It’s that time of year again when many clubs and organizations host amazing buffets of fish and other goodies.
Or as Kalida Knight of Columbus Hall manager Tony Vorst calls it, seven Friday nights of fun.
The Kalida K of C is just one of many local places holding a fish fry during Lent. While the events are popular, Vorst said people would be surprised at how much work goes in to hosting an event.
“Usually by 7 p.m., Vorst said, “I am ready to go home.”
Lent is is a solemn religious observance in the liturgical calendar of many Christian denominations that begins on Ash Wednesday and covers a period of approximately six weeks before Easter Sunday. During Lent, many people “fast” during the observance. In the secular world, fasting means abstaining from all food and drink. However, in religious circles, fasting means going on a disciplined diet.
So the purpose of a fast is to find out who is in control — you or your belly — and to win that control if necessary.
In the first century, meat was a luxury food. You either had to buy it in a market or you had to own enough land to keep cattle. Anyone could catch a fish in a lake or a stream. So meat was rich people’s food and fish was poor people’s food. So eating fish was a way of humbling yourself. The tradition remains today with many community organizations.
Vorst said the fish for Kalida’s event is delivered each Wednesday from Kalida Market, where it is put in a freezer. The seven Fridays averages crowds in access of 900, and he said much of its success is because the personal touch is put on preparing the nearly 200 pounds of fish each week.
“Everything is made right here,” Vorst said.
Vorst said word has spread so well that about 90 to 95 percent of the people that attend are not from Kalida.
“We get people from Defiance, Findlay, Lima, even Fort Wayne,” Vorst said.
Vorst said this year was the 50th year for the fish fry. His father, Cyril Vorst, was the first grand knight of the Kalida K of C. Vorst said it’s his 40th year.
Vorst said another key to having a good fish fry is having volunteers. In Kalida, he said they have about 100 volunteers each week. Several of the volunteers are from organizations such as youth or scout groups, which in turn receive a chunk of the money raised. The volunteers arrive at about 10 a.m. Fridays and have the food prepared by noon, ready for the 4 to 7 p.m. feast.
“All of the money we raise each year goes to service organizations in the area,” Vorst said.
Side dishes such as salads, potatoes and desserts are also given the same personal attention as the fish, which comes baked or fried, Vorst said. The all-you-can-eat dinner is $9 for eat in, $7 for carry out, or $4.50 for kids. Children under 6 eat free.
