FogHorn October 19, 2016 - Celebrating PF Chowder Booth Event

Friday night’s bread bowl preparation party was well attended and all 70+ boxes of bread loaves were prepped it good time, many hands make light work.
The foreign exchange students were an active, lively addition to the workforce.
The work party was loud with conversations and joking and there was good fellowship over Pizza from Spicoli afterwards.

At 6 a.m. Saturday our volunteers were there to cook up the initial six pots of Clam Chowder and set up the sales tent. 
Saturday turned out to be a good day, at the peak we were preparing on pot every ten minutes - ending the day having sold 70% of the bread bowls.

Sunday began rainy so was a slow start but everyone hung in there, the rate was a pot an hour and by day’s end we had sold all but 200 bread bowls.
The final volunteer crew amazingly had no traffic getting back to the container at the High School but got stuck in the wet grass and mud but got help out with bricks under the wheels.

Warren lauded everyone for the success of the event and announced these awards for meritorious service and other distinctions:

President Liz got the “Secure Sentinile” award for her unwavering support
Past President Dianne got the "Amazon Prime” award for ordering all our paper soup bowls, napkins, spoons, etc. and saving us shipping costs.
Nate got the “Gas man" award for providing the many propane tanks for warming the Chowder
Betty Shapira was awarded the “Rotary Mom” Award for her volunteering and royal presence
Marco Yaque won the “Can Opener” award

                                
Carolyn Gossart was awarded the “Extrodinairre Etcher” …sweet Caroline!
Paul Wruble earned the “In & Out Loader” award
Bonnie won “Can Can Girl”
Rene won “Pizza Princess”
Rosi and Rose won “Best Roses”
The “Calvary Award” went to Caroline, Alcen, Alec, Sofia, Fredericop, Paul, Adam, Jules and Mika (the Rotary `    `Exchange Students)
Brian, Bill, Paul and Dave got special sidekick accolades for their dedicated direct support of Warren
EP was overlooked but hailed in the end for making chowder!
Machine operators Brian, Paul, Bill got kudus for drilling down and Joe for fixing the broken return spring

Non members were also acknowledged:
Alicia of the American Cancer Society was there both days
Charles Quinn (Christina’s son preparing to head for college)
Leo White
Terry Pickle
Ann Johnston
Chris Pond
Bill Klear
Lisa Innes who ordered the bread

Wes played music which awarded us all

Left overs amounted to 200 bread bowls, 9 gallons of milk, 52 cans of chowder and a case of potatoes
Chowder offered for $7 a can but it can last until next year
Warren auctioned off the Diet Coke and Pum[kin Pie Soda

THANK YOU TO THE ROTARY CLUB OF HALF MOON BAY!
Net for event is over $7,000 despite the rain, (before taxes and City fees) (last year it was around $10,000, before taxes and City Fees)

There was a huge ovation for President Elect “Chowder Head” Warren Barmore

There was a flag exchange with Eric who was in attendance from Carolyn’s club in Belgium. Their flag featured "La Louvier”, the largest boat lift in the world

Fellowship followed in the glorious October sunshine on the decks of Seville. The assembled insisted that Catherine and her husband come out for a rousing cheer of thanks!

 

 

             

                                         

 

           

The meeting was held at Seville Tapas in glorious autumn sunshine.
The master of ceremonies was Pumpkin Fest Genie (Master)/Chowderhead Warren Barmore in an appropriate hat, filling everyone in on Pumpkin Festival 2016. He admitted that he’d been a little nervous given the rainy weather, “but this club stepped up,” and that brought applause from all present. He added that he was honored to be a member of this club, and honored that everyone showed up to fill in their slots and make Rotary’s participation in this year’s festival a success.  He certainly did his part, as a true “sole man”: during the festival he clocked up a grand total of 18,000 steps by the end of Friday and 26,000 by the end of Saturday. Sunday ended with 19,000 steps.
He recapped the weekend starting with Friday afternoon, with organizational help from Dianne Bobko, Club President Elizabeth Schuck and Dave Andrews. It all began after Rotarians showed up to prepare bread bowls and share pizza at the I.D.E.S. hall, winding up by Friday evening with some 85 boxes of bread bowls prepared for the festival and set up in a dry spot in the I.D.E.S. hall.

 
The next step began at 6 a.m. Saturday, when “Rotarians showed up,” he said. Flash forward to the end of the day Saturday when, Warren said, 70 percent of the inventory was sold by the end of that day. 

Helpers on both Saturday and Sunday included an Interactor and exchange students Alicia Castro from Spain, Anna Monteleone from Italy, Sophie Mahncke from Germany, Facundo Merce from Argentina, Daniel Costa from Brazil,  Adam Delarge from Belgium, Jules Clement from France and Miku Kono from Japan.
While Sunday was memorable for the downpour of rain that started dousing the festival around 9 a.m., it didn’t wash away the enthusiasm that powers Half Moon Bay Rotarians. After all, steaming hot chowder was perfect for a rainy day. On Saturday, Warren said, Rotarians went through roughly one pot of chowder every seven to 10 minutes and only slightly less that on Sunday. But on both days Rotarians stayed with the booth until well after closing time to find customers for the last of their chowder. The final crew, Warren said, brought in just enough people to get the last of the chowder to the last customers; “it worked out great,” he said. Sunday’s mop-up crew (listed below) included Bill Johnston, Irwin Cohen, Paul Wrubel,. and Dave Dickson, who helped load up equipment for transport to storage despite the heavy traffic leaving the festival.

Warren noted there were many people to thank for the weekend’s success, and he mentioned a few.  President Liz, he said, offered help all the way through. Dianne Bobko was the "Amazon Prime” person who got us free shipping on our soul bowls, to-go's, napkins, spoons, etc., etc.  by ordering through her Amazon Prime account. . Volunteer “gas man” Nate Rey helped out with the propane tanks. “Rotary Mom” (Eric Shapira’s mom) Betty worked like a trooper and didn’t even take a break (even though she scolded others for not taking a break.) Non-Rotarians who also stepped in included Catherine Yaque’s son Marco and Christine Quinn’s son Charlie, and exchange student “Sweet Caroline” Gossart. Other special thanks went to Paul Wrubel as a “loader” of equipment, ”can can girl” Bonnie Dunham for bringing two cans for the drill press and “Pizza Princess” Renee Lewis.
Some Rotary celebrities also showed up for the festival including District Governor Jeri Fujimoto and PFG Mark Flegel. Thanks also went to the “Two Rosies” – Serdy and Fontana --  and to “Santa Cruz (Rotarian) Mark” Junod and John Evans for helping organize the young helpers. 
Other non-Rotarians who were lauded included Paul Minoletti for helping make the chowder. Heartfelt thanks went to “mop-up crew” Brian Lee, Dave Dickson, Irwin Cohen, Bill Johnston and Paul Wrubel and to partners Marla Wong, Bill Berry, Charlie Quinn, Heather Bodmann, Lea White, Teri Pickle, Ayn Johnston, Chris Pond and Bill Klear. Photographers EP and EJ Dieterle were recognized for their skills with the shutters.
Ralph Ely listed the leftovers that were donated to Senior Coastsiders: 200 bread bowls, nine gallons of milk and a case of potatoes o’brien. Other remaining supplies included cans of chowder, Diet Coke and pumpkin pie soda, which were auctioned off. 
Overall, Warren gave thanks and recognition to the entire club membership for their participation and support. And he revealed the number everyone was waiting for: we should net a little over $7,000 (before taxes and City fess), he said. Everyone cheered when Warren was given the Presidential Pumpkin Award for Excellence.