St. Anne's Famous Restaurant Booth at London's Western Fair (2007)
Project Convenor: Mike J.

Well, here we go again.  For the fifty ninth time, we’re going to fire up the stoves, pitch our tent, and launch ourselves into the annual Western Fair project.  We’ve been here for approximately one half of the fair’s 130 year existence.  As a major event in St. Anne’s secular calendar, as well as a significant contributor to our financial well being, I wanted to bring this vital project to your attention

This year we are including some exciting new features to our operation.  As I write this, Big Top is putting the finishing touches on our new tent and it is shaping up to be great.  This, along with new patio furniture, a new pipe line and some inevitable menu changes promise to put a new sparkle to our project.

Here are the important dates and shift times of the project.  If we are to continue to succeed and prosper with our booth everyone’s participation is important.  If you can even spare the time for as little as one or two shifts, please choose a convenient time slot and venue then call the appropriate shift convenor. He or she will be delighted to accept your services.

Thank you in advance for your participation.  I hope that, like me, you will find that you take away as much as you give in friendship and personal satisfaction from this worthy cause.

Michael J., Project Convenor

Week of August 27th
Clean & Prepare Hall & Kitchen
Convenor: Angela, Bob

Saturday, September 1st
Tent Set-up
Convenor: Dave E.
 
Monday, September 3rd
Tent Clean-up/Paint
Convenor: Glenn B.

Tuesday, September 4th to Friday, September 14th
Food Prep ar Parish Hall
Convenor: Angela C.-mornings, Marg G.-afternoons, Bob R.-evenings

Thursday, September 6th to Sunday, September 16th
Operation of Booth at grounds     
Convenors: 
8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.    Glenn B.
10:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.    Rick C.
3:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.      Bob K.
8:00 p.m. to Midnight      Gerry L.
Midnight to 8:00 a.m. Walter

Monday September 17th
Tent Clean-up and Take Down
Convenor: Dave E.

Tuesday September 18th
Parish Hall Clean-up 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon
Convenor: Angela C.

If you can help out or if you have any questions please contact Mike J., the church office@ 519-471-0800 or our shift convenors who are listed above.

Western Fair - St. Anne’s Famous Restaurant Booth

An awesome job - Thank you for all your support with the Western fair project

Dear Friends,
On behalf of the Parish Council, we would like to express our appreciation to all who volunteered, in any way whatsoever, towards our Food Booth this year at the Western Fair.

Your hard work and devotion to this project is greatly appreciated.  Without your help, we simply would not be able to carry on this church-wide enterprise.  We thank each and every one of you.

Yours in Christ,
David, Warden
Robert, Warden

A wonderful experience
It was wonderful to be a part of the Western Fair Restaurant Booth experience! I can’t begin to say enough thanks to all of you who gave mind, heart and body to this ministry – from Mike and his wonderful conveners trying to herd us wandering cats into one cohesive team! – to apple peelers and some of us newbie’s, wiping the booth tables, filling up napkin bins and the ever diminishing ketchup bowls,  huge thanks!!! we did it!  We will reflect on what went well and what needs attention, but we did it and people were blessed!!!

I noticed in the many things you did, you didn’t squeeze out the small kindnesses that people carry with them long after the good taste of a St. Anne’s apple pie is gone.  The cash register attendee asked if I could help someone in a wheelchair, the youth helpers said thank you sir, come again and even the Lynall’s bunnies, Chocolate and Caramel were thought of with a gift from the kitchen team of left over apple peels to take home.  I also learned there are two sides to the pinch of salt on the coffee grinds debate, the jury is still out on as to where I fall on this one!   Popping my head up from the french fry fryer, a bonus was seeing the human cannonball soar, accompanied by a deafening bang, almost into our tent top!  We were that close! 

So many need to be given huge thanks for a tremendous effort, through rain, more rain and just enough sunshine to hopefully see the good fruits of our labour.

Thanks for the wonderful experience.
Your priest and friend,

Reverend Canon Janet Lynall+

Summer will end, then comes the fall
Glenn will give our friend Michael a call
We need to meet and arrange the tent
Michael will talk to the fair board and pay the rent

Angela will call the pie makers one and all
She will organize everything needed at the hall
The men of the church will call for a truck
To set up the tent correctly, with a little luck

A call will go to Marg at C.S. for some helping hands
We ask for volunteers, there are no demands
This call is for the help of the congregation
Just say 'yes' we need no application

You will feel good as you feed the crowd
Your inner person will sound so loud
"I helped, I did it", I became a volunteer
You can say it loud enough for your friends to hear

So if you are available for breakfast, dinner or lunch
If you can handle a till or grill for brunch
Say yes, I will volunteer my time and skill
Any Conveners will say 'yes' for your time, they surely will

by Linda B.