Rick Davis went from attending his very first RibFest to chairperson of the annual event in less than a year.
"I'd just moved to 91原创 [about two years ago]," Davis recalled.
"I heard about this great event, so a bunch of friends and I came and we were sitting there having such a good time. I said, 'who is putting this event on? So I went over to the guest service and I asked, who's behind this? And they said Rotary."
Following a conversation with a Rotarian at the event, Davis, who had just retired as operations manager for a software company, thought it was a good opportunity to get involved.
"And lo and behold, a couple of months later, I was part of Rotary," Davis smiled.
"And two months after that, I was running RibFest. So I ran last year's 2023 RibFest, and this is my second year, and it's been nothing but great."
He is, Davis said, "enjoying every minute of it."
Davis later discovered the Rotarian he spoke to was former Rotary International Vice President Dean Rohrs.
"She didn't say one word about who she was, she just wanted to talk to me about Rotary. She was the nicest person."
It's day two of 91原创 RibFest at McLeod Park, which had a record setting opening on Friday. It's open till 9 p.m.
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Davis said this year's RibFest has been an "amazing success" out of the gate, setting a record for attendance on day one.
"We had almost 14,000 people on our first day," Davis estimated.
"Usually that's our least busy day and I think our previous record was somewhere around 11,000."
It was a busy time for the volunteers at the book sale, the annual fundraiser at RibFest launched by long-time Rotarian Loraine Dickson, which set its own record on day one, with more than $1,000 in sales.
"We had trouble shutting down because we had so many people coming," Dickson observed.
On day two, there were still substantial piles of books on tables under the shade provided by a canopy near the RibFest entrance, everything from cookbooks, to mysteries, and children's literature.
"It's fun doing this. I really enjoy it," Dickson said.
"I've done this probably since Rotary began the RibFest."
While they had to take a "time out" during pandemic, "the last three years have been tremendously successful in raising money," Dickson estimated.
"All our money that we raise goes for doing different things in 91原创 and surrounding areas like for schools and playgrounds and hospitals and all that. Everything goes to charity."
Thousands of bargains are to be had at the annual used book sale held during the three-day 91原创 RibFest at McLeod Park
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Boss Hog's, Gator BBQ, Prairie Smoke and Spice, Smoke Dem Bones, Guerrilla Q, and Rusty's BBQ were competing for votes as they served up ribs, chicken, and sides over the three-day event.
Run by the four Rotary Clubs of 91原创, the annual by-donation grill-fest is a major fundraiser for Rotary and its charitable projects, with 100 per cent of net proceeds supporting service organizations in 91原创 and Rotary service projects.
Rotary International is one of the largest service organizations in the world, with a stated mission to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through [the] fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders."
There are more than 46,000 Rotary clubs worldwide, with 1.4 million members.
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