A novel fundraiser: onions anyone?
Debbie Wilkinson, Michael von Pupka and John Wilkinson with the rest of the Lions’ team preparing onions for the pickling process last Friday evening. Photo: Marg Braggins.
Roy Orbison’s classic song Crying was playing on the stereo at the Pohara Boat Club last Friday night and there should have been plenty of tears being shed, but there weren’t.
Out on the balcony in the fresh air, about 20 members of the Golden Bay Lions club were peeling onions. A lot of onions – 100kg to be precise.
“It was Pam Gardiner’s idea,” explained spokesman John Wilkinson. “She suggested we get together and produce some pickled onions for sale. It’s likely to be a good fund-raiser because buyers will get something of value for their money and it’s a nice social occasion for the members.”
Pam said that she remembered someone many years ago going door to door selling pickled onions to raise money for the Salvation Army.
The onions will be pickled using one of Pam’s well-tested family recipes.
“Once we’ve salted them and let them stand and got them into bottles, we’ll leave them to mature for three weeks or so and then we’ll be selling them around the place. We’re hoping people will support the idea because a 100kg of onions makes 138 jars,” said Pam.
Neil Wilson
