Rotary Club hosts drivethrough distribution
St. Patrick’s Day came early to Dixon Senior Center, courtesy of Dixon Rotary Club in what has been a tradition going back decades.
There might not have been a costume contest or rousing game of bingo as in past years, because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but the dining hall was filled with green and the aroma of corned beef and cabbages. This time, the iconic St. Patrick’s Day meals were available for pickup after being cooked by Rotarians and assembled into to-go bags and distributed, along with green and gold necklaces, to seniors who signed up to receive the meals.
Janice Beaman, Rotary Club treasurer, said the St. Patrick’s Day meals were a longtime tradition, always held on the Monday closest to the holiday. This year allowed for it to be held two days before St. Patrick’s Day, but ongoing guidelines prevented it from being held in person as it usually is.
“Normally we would be serving everybody (in this room),” Beaman said. “All the seniors would line up and come up and get their plates, and they would usually eat in this room.”
However, the club decided to make the meals available in a drive-thru pickup format instead. In addition to the corned beef and cabbage, the meals also included potatoes, carrots, rolls with butter, bottles of water and a dessert. Through the help of volunteers, approximately 110 meals were prepared.
Beaman said the vegetables were provided by Pedrick’s Produce, and the corned beef was cooked the night before at Rotarian David Johnson’s house.
“We’re a service club,” she said. “This is something we just do as a community thing as a service.”
The event attracted volunteers like Kristin Janisch, who moved to Dixon a year ago and whose mother Donna is a longtime Rotarian.
“I offered to help volunteer just because it’s a great way to be out in the community and serve,” she said.
The dessert was a carrot cake based on a recipe by David Johnson’s wife Carol, who died in 2017. Carol’s recipe was a favorite among Rotarians and continues to be used for carrot cake servings at other club functions.
“To keep her alive, he (David) continues to make her special recipe,” Janisch said. People really look forward to it.”
Janisch, who moved to Dixon just before the pandemic shutdowns went into effect, said she enjoys being able to volunteer for such events.
“This club has offered wonderful opportunities,” she said.
Beaman said she enjoys the fellowship of the 50-member club, although meetings have been relegated to Zoom since the pandemic.
“That camaraderie is missing from Zoom,” she said.
Nonetheless, Beaman said the club members continue to remain active. About 30 of them will be volunteering to assist with the vaccination clinic at Dixon High School, the second dose of which is being administered Wednesday. The club will also host a drive-thru version of its annual crab feed fundraiser from 5 to 7 p.m. Proceeds will go toward scholarships local veteran and school programs, food pantries and more.
Beaman also hopes for COVID-19 restrictions to loosen up in time for the club to put on its annual 4th of July celebration in Hall Park, complete with fireworks.
For more information on the club, call Beaman at 6785191.