GOOD EATS — Several local organizations have food booths at the Kosciusko County Community Fair, serving a variety of meals and desserts. Additionally, many of the proceeds from these booths stay local or are used for good causes. Pictured is the Cattlemen and Pork Producers food stand. (File photo)

Area service organizations play a huge role in satisfying the appetites of fair-goers at the Kosciusko County Community Fair, Sunday July 12, through Saturday, July 18, with a variety of dishes and desserts.

Three Lions Clubs maintain food booths at the fair: Leesburg, Lake City and Etna Green.

Leesburg Lions Club serves soft serve ice cream — vanilla and chocolate — in cups, sugar cones, milkshakes and sundaes. These items are sold at both of its booths — the main one located on top of the hill, where it’s been for 50 years, and its secondary location by the dairy barn. It receives much of its supplies from Farm Credit Services and GreenMark Equipment of Leesburg.

Proceeds go back into the Leesburg community to help needy students, provide scholarships, give funding to the Leesburg Summer Recreational League and more. Additional information can be found on the club’s Facebook page by searching “Leesburg Lions Club.”

Lake City Lions Club’s food stand is, of course, best known for its slush, which it started selling at the fair more than 50 years ago. It serves orange and lemon slush, its most popular flavors. The stand also sells hot dogs and bratwurst sandwiches. This year the club will be partnering with the Warsaw Noon Club and Warsaw Lions Club in order to open the booth by noon each day.

The proceeds from the stand benefit several Lions Club International projects, such as eye clinics, cornea collections, old eyeglasses collections and Leader Dogs for the Blind.

Etna Green Lions Club will serve hamburgers, cheeseburgers, fish, tenderloins, hotdogs, cheese dogs and chicken strips. The club also has the “Lions Burger,” served with pepper jack cheese. The stand will offer pies, too.

Like the other Lions Club booths, its proceeds will benefits Lions Club projects.

Burket United Methodist Church is the only church with a food stand at the fair. Stop by for fresh brewed tea, a tasty meal and pie for dessert. The booth is mostly known for its hamburgers, made from locally raised beef. Other popular items include its chili and nachos and cheese.

Funds from the stand help support the church.

The Cattlemen and Pork Producers food stand will be serving rib-eye sandwiches, butterfly pork chops, pork burgers, hotdogs and barbecue. Then for dessert, they offer pie. Proceeds then go toward the Cattlemen’s Twilight Tour, which will be in August, scholarships and to support 4-Hers in the auction.
Two 4-H groups are also offering tasty eats.

Beaver Dam Better 4-Hers sells breaded tenderloins, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, nachos and cheese, coney dogs and more. Their stand will also feature breakfast foods likes biscuits and gravy, egg and cheese muffins and cinnamon rolls. New items include fountain pop and Rise’n Roll pies.

All profits go back to the club to pay for books, scholarships for eight-, nine- and 10-year members and the annual completion trip.

The 4-H Junior Leaders will be featuring a new revamped menu at its food booth. New food items include chicken salad croissants, plus ham and cheese croissants. Other featured items are caramel apple slices and snow cones. The booth also serves Pepsi products.

Proceeds from the food booth stay in the leadership program, helping pay for community service activities such as adopt a family. Additionally, profits will help the club maintain the memorial garden and bring in funds after having its booth renovated.