THUNDER BAY – It may have required a few tweaks to operate during a second year of COVID-19, but organizers of the Thunder Bay RibFest are calling the event a success.
Thousands attended the drive-through event from Thursday to Sunday, held at Lakehead University due to the vaccine clinic being run on the CLE grounds.
The event featured two familiar visiting ribbers, Ribs Royale and Dinosaur Smokehouse, while Daytona’s took up the local ribber mantle from Silver Birch after its closure.
But while the ribs may steal the spotlight, organizers said what really makes RibFest special is the cause it benefits – and the way the community comes together to support it.
Last year’s RibFest raised around $60,000 for beneficiary Our Kids Count, a local non-profit community development organization. Executive director Jackie Knough said that plays a crucial role in supporting their programming.
"All of this is in support of Our Kids Count,” she said. “We do amazing programs in the community for our families - we do our food kitchens, we have our parenting groups, Big Brothers Big Sisters – it’s an amazing organization."
Around 100 volunteers helped make the event a reality, she said.
"Just the amount of volunteer support we get to run an event like this is amazing,” said RibFest co-chair Daniel Trevisanutto. “That's really the highlight - the amount of people willing to give back, all of the sponsors we've had come on board that really help make this event what it is."
The main goal was to match or beat last year’s fundraising total, something Trevisanutto said looked possible Sunday evening.
One local resident won a $17,770 jackpot from the event’s 50/50 draw.
Organizers hope to return to a traditional model for RibFest next year, public health rules permitting.
"It's so fantastic that people could still come out and participate even with the drive-thru model,” said Knough. “Next year we're really hoping to get back to a full festival with the restrictions lifting - that would be our goal, for sure."
