Increased cost of supplies appears on local fish fry menus
Editor无毛视频檚 note: This story was corrected to reflect the correct location of Immaculate Conception Church in Connellsville.
The first week of March marks the beginning of a beloved annual tradition, but this year, you may have to shell out a few extra bucks before biting into your Lenten fish fry sandwich.
无毛视频淲e无毛视频檝e definitely raised prices to reflect the fish going up,无毛视频� said Barry Nelson, financial secretary of St. Ann无毛视频檚 Knights of Columbus. 无毛视频淲e made one check on fish and found out that it was going up $2 a pound. We raised all our prices across the board.无毛视频�
The Knights of Columbus无毛视频檚 annual fundraiser, which makes up about one-third of the general budget, benefits the organization, and funds are allocated as needed to the four churches that make up St. Matthias Parish in Greene County.
无毛视频淟ast year, we were canceled all across the board,无毛视频� said Nelson. 无毛视频淭alking to people around town, they are looking forward to it.无毛视频�
Nelson hopes customers won无毛视频檛 be put off by increased menu prices, especially since St. Matthias Parish isn无毛视频檛 the only local organization upping the cost of a fish fry dinner. Skyrocketing inflation has increased costs of everything from fish and shrimp to take-out containers, and supply chain issues make some staples hard to come by.
无毛视频淚 don无毛视频檛 know about French fries,无毛视频� said Nelson. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 not sure.无毛视频�
Because fish fries are many churches无毛视频� largest fundraiser, prices this year are being raised to meet parish needs.
无毛视频淔ather told me, if we无毛视频檙e going to try to make any money, we should raise (the fish sandwich) to $12,无毛视频� said Mary Lazor, who spearheads the annual fish fry at Immaculate Conception in Connellsville.
无毛视频淟ast year, we made a couple thousand dollars. If I pay my bills, I无毛视频檓 happy,无毛视频� Lazor said, noting the fish fry and nut roll sales on Palm Sunday and Thanksgiving are the church无毛视频檚 biggest fundraisers. 无毛视频淕od always provides. We didn无毛视频檛 go in the hole.无毛视频�
Neither did St. Oscar Romero parish, which includes Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal and St. Patrick无毛视频檚 churches in Washington County.
无毛视频淪t. Patrick无毛视频檚 无毛视频� quite frankly, they had their best season ever无毛视频� last year, said Lou Daddea, who helps organize the parish fish fries.
But, like St. Ann无毛视频檚 and Immaculate Conception, the parish is reworking its menu.
无毛视频淲e无毛视频檝e seen costs increase as we prepare for this year. We无毛视频檒l have to adjust our menu a bit, in terms of prices to the customer,无毛视频� Daddea said. 无毛视频淏ut I will say 无毛视频� we are also pushing harder this year on sponsorships. If we can offset some of the costs with a sponsorship, then we won无毛视频檛 have to change too much on the menu.无毛视频�
Daddea said St. Oscar Romero is unique in offering lobster rolls and crab cakes, two pricey items he wants to continue serving customers. He无毛视频檚 hoping the parish can lock in a few more sponsors before March.
The Smock Volunteer Fire Department in Fayette County doesn无毛视频檛 have sponsors for its fish fry, but assistant Chief Neil Kelly said this year无毛视频檚 fundraiser, which begins Ash Wednesday, should be business as usual.
无毛视频淲e无毛视频檙e always concerned with what无毛视频檙e you gonna do. We can无毛视频檛 afford to not have it,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淚t doesn无毛视频檛 do that well but it makes a little bit of money. The community enjoys it, so we keep doing it.无毛视频�
Kelly is hopeful for a good turnout this year, considering folks are eager to return to some sense of normalcy.
无毛视频淲e appreciate everybody无毛视频檚 business in the past, everybody无毛视频檚 support through the pandemic,无毛视频� he said.
While Smock VFD is offering its staples 无毛视频� fish sandwiches and sides 无毛视频� the Charleroi Fire Department in Washington County is serving up Lenten fish fries with a saucy twist.
无毛视频淲e无毛视频檝e always done a pizza night for events like the Super Bowl,无毛视频� said Capt. Matt Prentice. 无毛视频淭here无毛视频檚 just so many fish fries around the area, we无毛视频檙e trying to change it up and we无毛视频檙e going to do pizza sales on Fridays through Lent. We无毛视频檝e done random pizza nights throughout the year, but this is the first time we无毛视频檙e doing pizza all through Lent.无毛视频�
Prentice said the department will offer plain, pepperoni and white pizzas.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 that real thick pizza that you cut in squares,无毛视频� Prentice said. 无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 really good.无毛视频�
The Richhill Volunteer Fire Department in Greene County is sticking with its traditional Lenten fish fry, but chief Dave Pohill isn无毛视频檛 yet sure what prices will look like this year.
无毛视频淲e haven无毛视频檛 even gotten that far,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淲e无毛视频檙e trying to get vendors to come in and meet with us.无毛视频�
Pohill said the department hosts a number of fundraisers each year, and though he expects a slight increase in fish fry menu prices this year, he无毛视频檚 hoping the increase won无毛视频檛 be substantial.
Before increased prices posed a problem to fish fries, local organizations had to get creative with meal distribution during the pandemic.
无毛视频淟ast year was the first year we had an online ordering system,无毛视频� said Daddea. 无毛视频淭hat really enabled us to do the business that we did. We无毛视频檙e going to use that again this year.无毛视频�
Daddea said technology has afforded volunteer-run fish fries like those at St. Patrick无毛视频檚 and Miraculous Medal to handle the volume of orders placed each Friday in Lent. He also noted that St. Patrick无毛视频檚 will again be take-out only.
无毛视频淟ast year, when we were doing this, it was pre-vaccine so there was a need for social distancing,无毛视频� he said.
Most other fish fries transitioned to take-out only during the pandemic, but this year, they无毛视频檙e reopening cafeterias for dine-in eating.
While Immaculate Conception will welcome guests inside, folks are encouraged to enjoy dinner at home.
无毛视频淪ome of the older women (are) in their 80s. The one lady无毛视频檚 in her 90s,无毛视频� said Lazor. 无毛视频淚 would feel so guilty if one of those ladies got sick.无毛视频�
While organizations around Washington, Greene and Fayette counties work to finalize menus and prices, all are looking forward to a successful fundraising season.
无毛视频淲e never really know what to expect the past two years,无毛视频� said Daddea. 无毛视频淭his year I无毛视频檓 kind of excited for it to be closer to normal, just because people are back out at restaurants, people are back to church.无毛视频�
Added Lazor: 无毛视频淚 just hope people come and support us. We无毛视频檒l do our best.无毛视频�