Food festival features magnifificent menu
By Joan Tupponce CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Last year's Magnificent Midlothian Food Festival drew more than 4,000 people, raising over $100,000 for local charities.

Mark your calendars for an evening of fantastic food and great entertainment as Gregg Waldhauser and his fellow Rotarians gear up for the 19th Annual Magnificent Midlothian Food Festival on Oct. 3.

"We do all of the work involved in putting it together," Waldhauser said. "My club, Brandermill Rotary, is just one of five Rotary clubs that put on the event. The other clubs are Midlothian, Bon Air, Huguenot Trail and Chester."

The event's roots date back to a seafood festival that four Rotarians attended in Gloucester.

"On the way back from the festival," Waldhauser said, "they thought, 'Why can't we do this in Midlothian?'"

The first event was held at Moorefield Office Park. The festival's location moved to The Boulders office park in 1999.

"We were too spread out at Moorefield," recalled Waldhauser. "The Boulders offers us one central location with more parking. It also has easy access."

Providing good food is one of the festival's goals. Food offerings include everything from beef tenderloins and chicken to barbeque pork and salmon, from vegetables to cheesecake. Delbert O'Meara of Creative Events of Virginia prepares all of the food.

"Delbert has done that every year since we've had the event," Waldhauser said. "He does all of the cooking onsite."

Along with lots of food, the festival will feature live entertainment.

"This is a nice evening for people to get something to eat, visit with other people, listen to great music and support a good cause," Waldhauser said. "Giving to charities is what it's all about."

Over 4,000 people attended the event last year, raising more than $100,000 for local charities.

"We've raised well over $1 million since the festival's inception," Waldhauser said. "The event draws strong support from local businesses that participate at different sponsor levels."

Some charities that have benefited from the festival include the Boys and Girls Club, Boy Scouts of America, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Manchester Rescue Squad, Manchester YMCA, Midlothian YMCA, Communities in Schools, Stop Child Abuse Now, CASA, YMCA Bright Beginnings, Special Olympics - Chesterfield, Richmond Friends of the Homeless and others.

"Each Rotary club realizes profits out of the event based on what they do for the event," Waldhauser explained. "Each club's charity committee determines the distribution. The Brandermill Rotary, for example, supports over 50 charities."

The event successfully publicizes the work of the Rotary in the community, Waldhauser adds. "It is designed to attract people who would make good Rotary members."

The work is hands-on for Rotarians and volunteers, which include high school students and teens who are members of Interact Clubs.

"The event promotes unity between the clubs," Waldhauser said. "We believe that more money for charity is raised in this joint effort than could be raised individually by the participating clubs."

Ticket information

The Magnificent Midlothian Food Festival will be held from 4:30-8:30 p.m. on Wed., Oct. 3, at The Boulders office park. Tickets are $25 each. Children ages 8 and under are free. Tickets can be purchased from members of the five sponsoring Rotary Clubs. Tickets are also available at Village Bank branch offices. No ticket sales are made at the gate. For more information, visit www.midlothianrotary.org.