If you want to say thank you, these are the members of the Matilda Memorial Recreation Committee you should be looking for. Courtesy Photo

BRINSTON – It is a simple phrase, yet it means so much. It gets tossed around often, but one thing is for certain, if you want to see community spirit in action, then head out to the Matilda Memorial Park in Brinston for one of their events and you will see just what community means.

On Sun., Oct. 5 the Matilda Memorial Recreation Committee (MMRC), hosted the 9th yearly Pig Roast. The event, like most of the events hosted  by the MMRC, has the focus on family and affordability, and on Sunday that was evident.

The day’s events got underway at 4:00 p.m. with entertainment provided by Magician Rob Power and his Magical Moments. South Dundas Fire and Rescue were on hand as well, answering questions and chatting with the kids who stopped by, before running off to play in the park.

While all this was going on, you couldn’t help but detect the enticing smell of slow roasted pork. According to Chad DeJong, the MMRC Chair, the cooking had started at around 2:30 a.m. “The pigs were a little bigger this year, so they took a bit longer to cook.” They expected a good crowd, and they wanted to be ready. Good thing, because the event was a sell-out, 350 tickets in all. People started showing up a bit early, but they were ready for them.

As always, the event is organized and run by volunteers. There were people of just about all ages involved, from high school students earning volunteer hours to people a little bit older who just want to give something back to the community.

As mentioned, this is the ninth year for the event, which started in 2016.  Most of the volunteers have been involved for several years now, which makes everything run smoothly.

The proceeds from the day’s event will go into the recreation committee’s account, and it goes towards different events they do for the public, and towards renovating their building, and towards the park.

Events like this don’t just happen, it takes a lot of effort from volunteers to help it succeed.

Everybody does a little and it accomplishes a lot, so that the MMRC can raise money that goes back to the community.

Each year is a bit different; sometimes people stay and eat, others, like this, takeout seems to be the way to go. People arrived, lined up, collected their meals and either found a seat or headed off home, Sunday dinner taken care of.

I dare anyone to find a better value than the dinner that was being offered on Sunday. For $20 you would receive spit roast pork, potato, beans, coleslaw, a bun, a drink, and desert. The MMRC treats events like this as a fundraiser, but they also want to make sure it is affordable so that as many people as possible can participate.

It has been said before, but it is worth repeating: There’s a saying that you need food for the table, but also food for the soul. In Brinston on Sunday, both needs once again were satisfied.