The New Berlin Lions Club has been serving fresh roasted corn at the Wisconsin State Fair since 1959. The corn is brought in fresh every evening. The Lions Club goes through about 100,000 ears of corn throughout the fair. Dave Abstetar, Director for the Wisconsin Lions Foundation, says it takes a village to make this possible.
The corn is served by volunteer organizations from various high schools, dance teams, as well as different youth groups. The stand is run by Lion’s Club members who volunteer their time. It takes about 1,200 volunteers in addition to about 15 to 20 lions members to run the stand during the fair.
“The busiest days of the fair are Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Those days we sell over 10,000 ears of corn per day,” says Abstetar. “During the rest of the week, we sell about 6,000 to 7,000 ears of corn per day.”
The Lions Club sources their corn from Alsum Farms out of Randolph, Wis. They offer corn on the cob as well as corn in a cup. This is thanks to a stripping machine designed by the Milwaukee School of Engineering. They also have their own seasonings for the corn and new this year created a street corn seasoning.
“We go through over 1,000 ears of corn an hour,” says Abstetar. “While we’re working hard making the corn, we also have a trailer set up that offers free eye screenings for children.”
They support the vision screening projects of the Lions Foundation, which include eyeglass recycling, hearing aids, and a free camp for children with disabilities throughout the summer.
All of the money raised by the Lions Club goes to charities in Wisconsin and Lions International. They donate to groups such as the Red Cross, Salvation Army, and local charities.
The New Berlin Lions Club is part of the Wisconsin Lions Foundation, which is one of the largest recycling centers in the world. They recycle over a million pairs of eyeglasses each year and provide hearing aids for people with low incomes.
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