By K. NANCOO-RUSSELL
Freeport News Reporter
Conch lovers will have their fantasies come to life at the Rotary Club of Grand Bahama Sunrise's first annual Conch Cook Off and Family Fun Day on Saturday, March 31.
Five hundred pounds of skinned conch will be taken to Taino Beach where a slew of amateur and professional cooks will vie for the top prize in the 'Best Conch Dish' contest.
The dish can consist of conch prepared in a variety of ways, including conch salad, conch fritters, crack conch and conch chowder.
To be a competitor in what will surely be a closely-contested conch cooking affair, a registration fee of $100 will be charged.
The creator of the Best Conch Dish will win, in addition to the coveted bragging rights, a first prize of $1,000 and a floating trophy.
Second and third prizes will be $500 and $200 respectively.
Patrons at this event, for only $10, will have free range to taste any of the savoury dishes, eating as much conch as their hearts desire.
According to Dwayne King, a club member, the event will be an afternoon of relaxing family fun and the club hopes that the public will support their fund-raiser.
"We chose conch because it is traditionally Bahamian and that's our indigenous dish that is fixed in various ways. No one fixes conch like us," said King.
"It's for a good cause. Conch is something we all love to eat, and it's known as a great aphrodisiac," added King.
The event will take place from 12 noon to 6 p.m. and parents are encouraged to bring their children out for a day of family entertainment.
Some of the attractions of the day include a bouncing castle, games, entertainment by Rainbow the Clown, a DJ, and food vendors.
Proceeds from this fund-raiser will go towards the Rotary Club of Lucaya's Community Service Projects, the first of which will be a donation of books to the Martin Town Primary School Library, which was damaged by the recent hurricanes.
Jamie Rose, member of the club and one of the organizers of the event said,
"We're trying to keep it as a Bahamian cultural theme, so we're featuring Bahamian food, conch being a staple of the Bahamian diet," he said.
Sponsors for the event include Jumex, Atlantic Caribbean Line Inc. and FOCOL.
ROTARY FUN DAY — The Rotary Club of Grand Bahama Sunrise will hold its first annual Conch Cook Off and Family Fun Day at Taino Beach on Saturday, March 31. Rotarian Dwayne King, above, said the event will be an afternoon of relaxing family fun. Proceeds will aid Rotary Community Service Projects throughout Grand Bahama. (Photo by JENNEVA RUSSELL)
