For the second year, the Oak Bay Kiwanis Pavilion Foundation teams up with local sponsors to offer Salmon Fest; a chance to help the Kiwanis raise money for the pavilion while offering a scrumptious salmon meal to those in attendance.
The event takes place at Willows Beach Park in the Kiwanis Tea Room on Saturday, Aug. 18 from 4 to 7 p.m. and offers a barbecued salmon fillet (generously donated by Oak Bay Seafood), coleslaw (courtesy of Chef on the Run) and fresh and tasty bun (donated by Cobs Fresh Bread).
Of course, no fish dish is complete without the mandatory fries, that will also be provided to round out the meal.
The meal will also include a soft drink and ice cream for dessert.
The whole thing costs only $16 for adults and $10 for children, 12 and under.
It’s a family event and, cognizant of the vagaries of the eating habits of small children, hot dogs will also be available upon request.
Janet Morningstar, the organizer of the event for the Foundation, said that last year’s event was a great success and that, this year, it’s expected that more than 200 salmon fillets will be served in support of the programs at the Pavilion.
Most of the money raised by the event will go to the three music programs provided to the residential care facility, where the 223 clients are provided with compassionate care. The Pavilion is designed for people living with frailty and dementia.
“You can’t overstate the importance of music to these people. It’s a huge comfort to them and a big part of their lives,” explained Morningstar.
The music program’s lynch-pin is the weekly music therapy program in which music is used to stimulate memory and just bring joy to the residents’ lives.
Other aspects of the music program include private concerts and specialty programming.
“We used to be funded by the Gaming Grant but that funding is no longer available to us so we had to find a way to raise the $45,000 to make sure it continued,” said Morningstar.
In keeping with the family nature of the event and the background theme of music for the Pavilion, diners will be treated to the music of the 60’s and 70’s, courtesy of The Real Truman Show.
Seating and tenting, provided by Oak Bay Recreation, will ensure that the event will go ahead, regardless of the weather and that the whole family will be have a great time.