Fish fry nets over $13,000 for volunteer organization

Joanna Werch Takes

smiling man holds large tray of uncooked fish fillets under outdoor tent Let’s Go Fishing Eden Prairie volunteer Terry Toomey displays a tray of pollock ready to be cooked at the group’s fish fry fundraiser. Photos by Joanna Werch Takes

Let’s Go Fishing Eden Prairie netted over $13,000 at this year’s annual fish fry fundraiser, held earlier this month at St. Andrew Lutheran Church. The proceeds support Let’s Go Fishing Eden Prairie’s mission to provide free fishing trips for seniors, hospice patients, veterans, youth, disabled individuals, and more.

man in blue apron stands in front of cooker in outdoor tent with snow in parking lot in background Over 700 pounds of fish went through the fryer at the event, with John Georgen (at cooker), Bruce Balfanz (seated) and Scott Nelson among those tending to the cooking.

The entirely volunteer-run organization provides such excursions to as many as 4,000 people per season, operating out of two pontoon boats at Eden Prairie’s Lake Riley in Riley Lake Park. They also host annual Cops and Bobbers and Hooks and Ladders events, partnering local police and firefighters with area youth for fishing excursions.

This year’s March 8 fish fry fundraiser, the group’s largest event of the year, moved to a larger location at St. Andrew Lutheran Church, where Let’s Go Fishing board member Tina Palmer said the organization served about 765 meals.

several people, including children, adult women, and teenagers, eat from plates at table covered with blue tablecloth

a hand holds out a paper plate piled high with coleslaw and cooked fish
People of all ages enjoyed plates full of fish and sides. Among them were, left to right, Jacoby (back to camera), Jackson, Dianne and Juliana DeKoning, and Gayle, Paul (in red sweater, partially hidden) and Ellen Vogel.

Those meals included fried pollock, hush puppies, coleslaw, baked beans, potato salad, water, coffee, lemonade, and cookies, served in an all-you-can-eat format. Those who wanted more could replenish their plates at a “seconds line” in the St. Andrew fellowship hall, which served as the dining area.

man in plaid shirt and tan ball cap, man in black sweater and dark ball cap serving food from trays to a line of people

a crowd of people at tables in a large room

many people serve themselves in a food line while woman in yellow shirt and blue apron carries tray
Virgil Handke (in plaid) and Scott Wetzler dished out seconds, while Lynn Thom (in yellow shirt at right) replenished trays for the main serving area. Video screens displayed Let’s Go Fishing volunteer opportunities for diners.

In addition to food sales, Let’s Go Fishing raised funds to support expenses like fuel, boat maintenance, life jackets, bait, and more through a raffle, silent auction, wine pull and passing an empty gas can for donations at the event.

“Overall, we were very pleased with the results, and we had numerous compliments from people about the event,” including from many people who had never attended in the past, Palmer said.