The popular Lobster on the Beach, a fundraiser for the Rotary Club of Osoyoos, has sold out this year. The number of guests had to be capped at 272 for logistical reasons. (Richard McGuire file photo)
An Atlantic lobster dinner becomes an even more luxurious delicacy when it’s served on a beach in the South Okanagan, and that’s what the Rotary Club of Osoyoos has on the menu Sept. 10.
“Dinner tables are set up on top of the grass at Gyro Beach, and we make it as close to fancy as we can,” said Judy Miller-Bennett, co-chair of the event. “It really looks nice when you walk in and see the chandeliers hanging and the round tables with tablecloths dressed in the Rotary blue, white and yellow.”
The fancy meal will be enjoyed at Gyro Beach in Osoyoos, and the lobsters are coming in live from Prince Edward Island.
They don’t arrive until the day before the event “because they’re delicious and we have to get them from the east coast. They arrive alive; they can’t be cooked if they’re not alive.”
But anybody who doesn’t already have a ticket will have to wait until next year’s event because it’s already sold out.
Organizers had to cap the number of patrons at 272, and that number was limited by logistics with the Rotary renting as many lobster pots as possible.
Because it sold out so fast, Miller-Bennett suspects it will be mostly locals attending this year’s meal.
“It just caught on. But I wish we had room for more people because I know that people from out of town like to come too,” she said. “The dinner is great and delicious and then there’s dancing after which is really fun.”
The meal’s preparation will be overseen by Jim Adams, and three other Rotarians will be doing the cooking under his supervision.
Beverages will be supplied by Quinta Ferreira Estate Winery and Adega Estate Winery, and Eastlink has sponsored the event.
The Lobster on the Beach happens on Sept. 10 at 6 p.m., with Mark Madrigal from Global TV emceeing the event.
Money raised will be used to support the Rotary Club’s local partners as well as an international project in Africa. The local service club has raised over $30,000 since its inception in 2003.
DAN WALTON
Regional Reporter
