By Pepper Parr
August 31st, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
HELP US SUPPORT HUNDREDS OF CHARITIES, A TOONIE AT A TIME is the way the Burlington Rotary explained the $2 Entrance Fee being collected at the 2024 Ribfest.
“As you may know, Canada’s Largest RibFest is Rotary Burlington Lakeshore’s most successful community event where all proceeds are donated to support health, hunger and humanity across charities close to home and around the world. In the last 25 years, we have been able to donate close to 5 MILLION dollars to charities such as Burlington Food Bank, Joseph Brant Hospital, The Carpenter Hospice, Canada Diabetes Association Summer Camp, CCAC Child Abuse Emergency Fund, Terry Fox, Food Banks Canada, Haloton (sic)Fresh Food Box, Community Living Burlington, Out of the Cold, The Lighthouse Homeless Shelter, Able Sail and many more.
“We couldn’t do this without all of the amazing support we receive from the community and thank you in advance for a record-breaking Rib Fest this year!”
Did Rotary clear this with the City administration – Spencer Smith is a public park – I don’t think anyone can just say I’m collecting money for a good cause..
We don’t recall hearing anything from Rotary about this new approach to collecting money from the public. It looks like people within Rotary thought it was a good idea and they just went right ahead and did it.
Nothing wrong with the idea – getting public support before is usually seen as a best practice.
Given the close to crisis situation every dollar should be going to the Food Banks.
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
For those of you who do not know me. I volunteered at the St. Christopher’s Open Door Food Bank, as well as the Circle of Friends at Burlington Baptist Church which is a program that brings isolated seniors into the church for lunch, a program and socialization.
I volunteered at the Wellington Square Community Dinners that took place on Friday evenings. I sat on the board of the Burlington Seniors Centre for many years and was in charge of the Bistro in the building that provides low cost, healthy meals for seniors. I was also part of the board who started “Senior Centre Without Walls” a telephone program to connect seniors who were not mobile( long before the city tapped into TelePals during the pandemic). We had many interesting speakers involved.
Along with other members of the board at the Burlington Seniors Centre we provided free of charge cloth masks (3,000) at the beginning of the Covid Pandemic ( this was prior to knowing that the cloth masks were not as effective as the N95 masks). These masks were sewn by volunteers with the Burlington Lion’s Club helping with delivery.
I was part of the original group of people who started Third Age Learning in Burlington that provides low cost educational seminars that is still taking place at the Burlington Art Centre.
I was also involved in the establishment of ECoB and arranged for the 7 debates that took place in 2018.
As long as I have lived in Burlington – 20 years I have been actively involved in trying to combat isolation for seniors.
Presently I sit as a patient advisor on BOHT ( Burlington Ontario Health Team) and also part of the Community Wellness Hub Burlington.
All that I have accomplished in Volunteering happened because of the many others in Burlington who worked as a team to make things happen. It takes a village.
Astrang50 – The one organization I have not volunteered for is Rotary.
You truly are a wonderful person.
Yes, the $2 entry fee was in effect last year too. People attend Ribfest in good faith, knowing that the ribs are expensive but that the recipients of funding from the event, do benefit from it. To extract an additional $2 per person for admission is a disappointment.
If I remember correctly there was an entry fee last year to get into RibFest. If I am wrong please let me know.
Personally, I think this is unacceptable. There are some people who don’t want to go to RibFest but would simply like to spend time in the park. The last time I looked it was a public park.
This year a half rack of ribs, plus a small portion of baked beans and a corn muffin along with the entry fee results in a cost of $27.00. This feeds one person. Many people prefer to take this home to eat so the $2.00 entry fee is simply to be able to buy the ribs. They are not spending any time in the park.
A family of four ( with children older than 12) faces an $8.00 entry fee before they buy anything.
Does anyone know how much money is generated from the “grillers”? Do they pay a percentage of their sales or a flat fee for the space they use to Rotary?
I would like to know if this entry fee was the “brainchild” of the Rotarians to help pay for the use of Spencer Smith Park. I know that the park has to be returned to the condition it was prior to the event.
This should not be happening.
You should offer to be a volunteer, or better yet, Join Rotary
I agree everything from this “food fest”should go to local food banks.