Helping the kids, a burger at a time
Middleton’s Big Scoop Skippy Burger wins the war for kids’ charity
The Big Scoop Family Restaurant’s Skippy Burger comes with a dozen condiments. It’s messy. And it’s to die for.
It’s so good it won the Valley’s Burger Wars 2017 and helped raise $8,661 for Campaign for Kids.
Big Scoop manager Sue Wamboldt memorised the Skippy Burger ingredients and can recite them just like in the old Big Mac commercial. Online, there’s a video of Wamboldt making the spiel.
“It’s a quarter-pound patty on a grilled rustic bun,” says Wamboldt. “It comes with ketchup, mustard, relish, onions, lettuce, tomatoes, mayo, pickles, mozza cheese, cheddar cheese, bacon, and barbecue sauce.”
From April 1 to April 30, chefs served up new culinary masterpieces especially created for the second annual Campaign for Kids fundraiser. A buck from each burger was donated to the Kings County charity that helps kids in need.
While the Big Scoop’s Skippy Burger was the Most Outstanding Burger based on votes on the Burger Wars website, The Capitol Pub, also in Middleton, came in second with kitchen manager Michelle Friel’s Big Popper burger. Friel’s entry was a seasoned patty with a hint of jalapenos, topped with a special cheese blend and caramelized onions.
Third place went to the Old Orchard Inn in Greenwich. The Port Pub in Port Williams sold the most burgers during the competition.
Public response
“Everybody loved it,” said Wamboldt in reference to the Skippy Burger. “I don’t think we had one person that didn’t like it. The only other thing we had was extra napkins because there’s a lot of condiments – it’s a good burger but a little messy.”
They sold 222 Skippy Burgers during the contest, and customers donated an additional $50 to the cause. RONA Cash and Carry in Middleton topped up the funds to $500.
Across the Valley, 8,141 burgers were sold from about 30 participating restaurants, bistros, and pubs. With additional monetary donations, the total raised came to $8,661.
Organizers termed Burger Wars 2017 a massive success.
“These funds will go a long way in helping underprivileged children in Kings County,” Campaign for Kids wrote on the Burger Wars website.
This year’s contest eclipses last year’s Burger Wars that saw 23 entrants and 5,217 burgers sold.
For Wamboldt, the Burger Wars vision fits in with what they do.
Helping kids
Campaign for Kids was created by Family and Children’s Services of Kings County to address the overwhelming number of requests for assistance from families in crisis. Campaign for Kids is composed of a volunteer board and a network of business contacts. All donations go directly to the local children who need it most.
“With the proceeds (along with other fundraising done in the year), CFK had a special project last year where we purchased winter clothing (boots, pants and jackets) for needy students at every kings county school,” said this year’s Burger Wars organizer, Andy Forse, noting the cost was almost $15,000.
“Without Burger Wars we probably wouldn’t have been able to meet that need,” Forse said in an interview prior to the start of this year’s contest. “We hope Burger Wars can be even more successful this year so we can continue projects like that this year.”