Orders to go
Drive-up orders added to Friday’s sausage fry
various Yuma Rotary public service projects, such as its college scholarships for area residents, the annual Teacher of the Year awards event and sports banquets that recognize high school athletes.
“All the money stays local,” said Kammann.
“We don’t necessarily have a target amount” that the club wants to raise from ticket sales, he added. “On average we serve 2,000 to 2,500 people.”
And “if we serve 2,000 people, we probably do 500 (orders) to go.”
Given that, Rotarians decided to make it more convenient for people to take out dinners. For Friday’s fry, the Caballeros de Yuma loaned the Rotary club the trailer with the drive-up window, said Kammann.
The event marks the 58th year of the Walt Kammann Sausage Fry, named for Kammann’s grandfather.
The fry evolved from what once was the Yuma Rotary Club’s annual International Buffet. Walt Kammann’s sausage, made from a closely guarded recipe, proved to be the most popular item at the annual dinner, so Rotarians decided to instead host a yearly sausage fry – featuring, of course, the winning recipe.
As a boy, Jeff Kammann helped his grandfather prepare and serve the sausage in the years the fry took place at the Yuma County Fairgrounds. Then, more than two decades ago, the event moved to the civic center, where Kammann has served as cook for the past 12 years.
More recently, Rotarians have staged sausage eating contests as part of the entertainment lineup.
The winners of preliminary contest held a couple of weeks ago will face off in a final round of competition on Friday, with the winner collecting a $1,000 cash prize. Area media celebrities will compete in a separate contest.
This year’s fry comes at a poignant time for organizers of the event, given the recent death of longtime Yuma grocer Don Olsen, who for years provided the sausage for the fry. But his passing does not affect the event’s future, says Kammann.
“He had all our sausage already made up for the event, and his wife Bryanne plans to keep the store. Her comment was, ‘As long as I’m in business, we’ll continue to make your sausage.’”
Kammann says tickets for Friday’s sausage fry can be purchased from any Yuma Rotary Club member or at the door.
– Jeff Kammann, a Rotarian and head cook for the fry. “People can just drive up to the drivethrough window. It will be right in front of the civic center.”