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Meal attracts residents downtown
Published 3/18/2010 in Local News
By MONICA SPRINGER
It took 350 potatoes, 25 pounds of cheese, 12 sticks of butter, eight pounds of sour cream, two roasters full of chili and 18 pounds of broccoli to feed everyone who came to the Downtown Vision office on Wednesday for a St. Patrick's Day lunch and dinner.
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Brad Nading/Telegram Joanne Heinz, right, places broccolli on a patron's baked potato Wednesday as she and Arlene De Cardenas work a toppings table at the Downtown Vision office during the annual “Who's Your Patty?” potato bar to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.
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Brad Nading/Telegram Area patrons fill the Downtown Vision office over the noon hour Wednesday to have a baked potato lunch during the annual “Who's Your Patty?” potato bar to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.
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Brad Nading/Telegram Arlene De Cardenas places homemade chili on top of a patron's baked potato Wednesday at the Downtown Vision office during the annual “Who's Your Paddy?” potato bar to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.
The meal, which people purchased for $5, included a baked potato and all the trimmings, a drink and dessert.
Downtown Vision first hosted the potato bar for St. Patrick's Day last year as a way to attract people to downtown Garden City, said Beverly Schmitz Glass, Downtown Vision's director.
"Maybe after they eat, they'll go shopping," Glass said. "People seem to enjoy it."
And by 5:30 p.m., the Downtown Vision office saw more people than last year's attendance of 175. Glass said a total of 242 people attended the event, which has been dubbed "Who's Your Paddy?"
All age ranges were in attendance, from senior citizens to families with young children and babies. And all of them were eating potatoes while listening to Irish music.
Ace and Joanne Harder, of Garden City, decided to come to Downtown Vision for a potato dinner.
"It sounded like fun. We like to come and see downtown," Joanne Harder said. "It's a beautiful day to get out."
Joanne, who is in retirement now after having worked at Community Daycare, said the children there love to celebrate any and every holiday. So she's used to celebrating St. Patrick's Day, she said with laugh.
She wore a green necklace with a green bell at the bottom.
Ace Harder wore a green flannel shirt.
They loaded up their potatoes with chili, cheese and broccoli, then went back to get more toppings.
"I think it's really nice they do this. They need to get more people downtown," Joanne Harder said.
People sat at tables with green table clothes as they ate their meal. And people wore the traditional color of the holiday with such items such as green headbands, shirts, skirts, necklaces and buttons.
The potato bar serves as a fundraiser for Downtown Vision's Fall Fest, which will be held Sept. 18, Glass said. Downtown Vision raised $1,377. After $375 of expenses including advertising and silverware, Downtown Vision raised $1,002, Glass said.
The potatoes were donated by Premium Source Ag in Holcomb. The toppings were donated by members and board members of Downtown Vision, and Patrick Dugan's donated the coffee. Board members also made the desserts, including cake and brownies.
Gay Morgan, Mary Regan and Nikki and Alan Geier sat at a table and visited with each other Wedneday.
Morgan wore a button that said "Official Leprechaun" and the Geiers and Regan all wore green shirts.
They loaded up their potatoes with chili, cheese and sour cream.
"It's a good place to see people, enjoy the holiday and support Downtown Vision," Regan said.
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