More than 140 volunteers and several committed sponsors ensured the success of this year's Oakville Family Ribfest, the primary fundraiser for the Rotary Club of Oakville Trafalgar. At this point, the club is still tabulating the numbers, but they noted that thousands of vehicles came through.
"We were expecting to see one or two people per vehicle, but many cars were full of complete families, including a few cats and dogs," said Rob Gardener of Rotary Club of Oakville Trafalgar. "One patron ordered 16 dinners, and the ribber gave them an extra one because of the size of the order."
Rotary Club of Oakville Trafalgar
Up to 80% of drivers made a direct donation and over 25% of patrons attended other food vendors. There were four separate ribbers along with other food vendors, with volunteers noting that at least one vehicle went to all four ribbers.
The Ribfest was Rotary Oakville Trafalgar's first step in fulfilling its plan to help reopen Oakville by eating local, shopping local and supporting local businesses.
The Rotary Drive-Thru Ribfest was held from August 20 through 22, 2021, at Sheridan College, which will be doing an environmental impact study.
One patron said, "The food was awesome and plentiful. So, for us, it was a great experience, and we would do it again in a heartbeat."
Rotary Club of Oakville Trafalgar
One of over 100 volunteers at Oakville Family Ribfest 2021.
As a newbie, new Rotary club member Margaret V. said, "It was an amazing experience to me. I have nothing but appreciation for all the intense work that went into making this complex event work so smoothly...What a team. I feel I’ve made some new friends, and I look forward to working - and playing - with you going forward."
Amanda E. of Oakville won the $150 Montfort Gift Basket and said, "I was so excited to see that I had the winning ticket! Thank you so much!! The basket is beautiful, so much more than I was expecting!"
Oakville Family Ribfest is celebrated its 9th year as a Drive-Thru event. Oakville's Rotary Ribfests have raised monies to support a variety of community and international projects.
