Although the Medford Veterans of Foreign Wars tends to take the summer off from fundraising, its efforts are back in action this September. On Saturday, Sept. 24, the organization, under the lead of Commander Angelo Correa, will host its Pig Roast fundraiser for the fourth year in a row from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at 317 Church St.
“The Pig Roast was just something that came up collectively four-plus years ago. We had a gentlemen named Denny Ward who belonged to the Men’s Auxiliary, a support group of the VFW, who donated his time to help organize the event and cook for us free of charge,” Patrick Kavanagh, a retired airline pilot and quartermaster of the VFW, said. “Ward still helps us out with our fundraiser today and is the grill master.”
Always held on the fourth Saturday in September, the event typically hosts 300 to 350 people and will offer fresh BBQ pig with lots of side dishes, desserts, wine, beer and soda. Side dishes will include potato salad, pasta salad, broccoli salad, slaw, deviled eggs and macaroni salad.
“The pig itself is definitely the highlight of the event. However, Ward will also be cooking up burgers, dogs and chicken all purchased from various vendors,” Kavanagh said. “It’s all the food you can eat, beer and wine you can drink and an afternoon of great fun — you can’t beat it.”
Also at the event will be DJ Tony, a member of the Men’s Auxiliary, who will be engaging attendees by offering karaoke. The Pig Roast will also have games of horseshoe set up for guests to play.
The date for the event was selected after members of the VFW researched event dates of VFWs and other organizations from surrounding towns and found the weekend of Sept. 24 presented minimal conflict. Due to the VFW’s hall capabilities, there is no rain date scheduled.
At the roast, three to four dozen volunteers from the VFW and supporting organizations, the Auxiliary and the Men’s Auxiliary, will help make the afternoon a success. This year, instead of having a traditional buffet, servers will be rationing the plates to avoid having attendees try to take excessive amounts home in containers. Although the event is intended to be a fun community experience, the VFW hopes for the community’s cooperation as well as their support.
All proceeds from the once-a-year fundraiser will go directly toward the VFW, helping afford maintenance on the building and contributing to other forms of support. Kavanagh recalls that each year this fundraiser receives excellent support from the community and presents a truly excellent time.
Tickets for the event are $20, and children under the age of 12 are invited to attend free of charge. For more information on the event, call (609) 654–9823, and for more information on the VFW, visit http://www.vfw.org.
