This past Tuesday, August 4, we served our quarterly dinner at the West County Ronald McDonald House. I put out the call for volunteers in early July, and within days we had a full team in place. Joining me were Lorenzo Squellati, Mike Dwyer, Denny Garner, Larry Mangels, and Doug Smedley.

Back in May, our dinner fell on Cinco de Mayo, so we changed up the menu a bit. This time we returned to our regular menu featuring Cowboy Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans with onions and bacon, gravy, dinner rolls, and chocolate chip cookies.

I usually arrive early to get the food, pots, pans, and kitchen organized. Lorenzo arrived a short time after and immediately went to work peeling potatoes. I remembered that he had taken charge of the potatoes before, so I asked him to handle both the mashed potatoes and gravy again. He did not disappoint.  As the rest of the crew arrived, everyone pitched in to sauté onions, dice and cook bacon, prepare the green beans, bake cookies, and warm the dinner rolls. 

As always, dinner was ready right at 6:00 p.m. Several families arrived immediately and dug in. The remaining food was packed into to-go containers. Long days at the hospital often keep families away until late in the evening, but whenever they return to the House, a home-cooked meal is ready and waiting. The RMH staff is always quick to point out that all of the food is gone by the next morning. 

Once we saw that everyone had been served, it was our turn. We all sat down together for dinner and, naturally, spent most of the time talking about fishing.

Cleanup was next, and before long the kitchen was spotless.

Our next Ronald McDonald House dinner will be on Tuesday, November 3. Keep an eye out for an email in early October if you’d like to volunteer. We hope to see you there!

• Ken Welter