Shriners provide the catch o’ the day

ELIZABETHTOWN – Cars lined the Broad Street in Elizabethtown and the temporary drive-thru fashioned in the parking lot of the Food Lion Wednesday for the annual spring Shriner’s fish fry. As we printed last week, there were no clowns or Fez-wearing men driving little cars, but the Local Shriners were cooking up promises for sick children.

Many workers from the Shriner’s along with students from a local academy were working feverishly to keep up with the demand for a fresh fried Whiting filet, sweet potato fries, hushpuppies, coleslaw and southern sweet tea.

People that were waiting in line were patient as they knew the cause was a good one and the meal was delicious at a fair price.

According to fishfrychronicles.com, “While the fish fry is primarily an American tradition, its roots can be found in the Germanic culture of the Midwest. The tradition is strongest in Wisconsin, where there are many German Catholics who enjoy fishing”

Not to mention, eating the fish. Growing up in Wisconsin, fish fries and slaw were part of the weekly family ritual and is still a popular event today.

Samae Wilson from Tarheel Challenge Academy was one of the workers from the school that helped set up, prep food, serve and cleanup, had a servant’s heart as he was a part of a team that helped keep things moving all day at the Shriner’s spring fish fry.

“It’s nice to be outside and to be helping everybody,” Wison said. “I love being helpful.”

According to Shriner organizer Phillip Little, the boys were from a military academy out of Salemburg, North Carolina, that is operated by the United States National Guard.

“I think we’ve got between 20-25 young men here helping us,” Little said. “We can’t do this without them. It’s a good program. They are over there in school and after they graduate from the academy, a lot of them will go into the military and some go into private industry.”

Putting together an event of this magnitude can be challenging and through the years, the Shriners have had to continue to find different spots to accommodate all the traffic and the people who came to help support this cause.

“I see getting enough help as the biggest challenge,” Little said. “To help keep things moving. We were hoping to sell 2,000 dinners this year and match our total from October, and it will take a few days to get it all tallied and to find out how much was raised.”

Little who has been in charge of the Shriner’s fish fries for over 20 years in Bladen County had manned a team that had sold 700 pounds of fish by 1:30 p.m. and there was only 300 pounds left.

Seated at the table, teamed with Little, selling dinners was Wendell Garner.

“We used to have a site in Bladenboro,” Garner said. “It’s gotten to where we couldn’t get enough people to man it. So, we just all joined forces and started coming here.”

“We don’t have many places left in Elizabethtown that we can hold an event like this,” Little said. “In years past we were up at Whole Foods and used to use that parking lot, but that whole area has sprung up and we didn’t have the room. We also used to be where the fitness center is, and we used to use their parking lot.”

To accommodate the multitude of cars and those who are just picking up food, the Shriners have created a temporary drive-thru.

“This drive-thru is the best thing we’ve got going,” Little said. “It stays constant all day.

Eight friers were set up on loan from Sudan Temple and the fish was hand-breaded and served hot and fresh. All quite a deal for only $10 and your appetite. The prices have gone up all over the nation for food and Little felt bad about having to raise the price this year from the 2023 $7 a plate price tag.

The bonus was that the funds went to help children who are suffering and in a Shriner’s Hospital.

The setup began the night before and the event kicked off at 11 a.m. and ran until somewhere between 5 and 6 p.m. when the fish ran out.

“The cause is phenomenal and we fully realize it,” Little said. “There are 22 Shriners hospitals including one in Canada and one in Mexico City. The closest one is in Greenville, South Carolina. I’ve been there and although it’s a heartbreaker, it puts joy in your heart to see what is being done for those kids and the care they are receiving.”

Little told a story about a time at a convention of law enforcement members. On an elevator, a woman walked up to Little and said to her friends who were with her, “This man is my hero.”

“I thought it was because I was in law enforcement, but it wasn’t the case,” Little said. “She said, ‘because of these guys my daughter can walk.” It was then that he realized that he was wearing his Shriner lapel pin and she was referring to the recovery that her daughter made in a hospital that charged them nothing for the care.

According to lovetotherescue.org, “In 1922, construction began on the first Shriners Hospital in Shreveport, Louisiana. It was the perfect location; an underserved city surrounded by farming communities. To address the needs of patients during construction, the hospital’s first physician saw patients at an office in town. You might know The Shriners as simply the men in red hats, but there’s a fascinating, 150-year history behind those fancy red fezzes. The story begins in 1870, when a group of fellows created an organization to serve their communities and help build a better world. Today, Shriners Hospitals for Children has served more than 1.5 million children , regardless of the families’ ability to pay.”

It’s not just the history that is amazing, but each year a child benefits from the care and funding, the story is continuing to be written. The Shriners motto is: “The next chapter of Shriners Hospitals for Children will be written by YOU ! The patients, parents, donors and friends who support our mission.”

Last Wednesday the people of Bladen County helped write a chapter and became a warrior – engaged in the battle to defeat childhood diseases.