As the holidays approach, the Johnson County community is gearing up once again to fight hunger among its neighbors.
They’ll be doing it with plates piled high with pulled pork, green beans and rolls.
Food, friends and philanthropy come together at the Jim Rhoades Memorial Hog Roast, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Dec. 1 in Scott Hall at the Johnson County fairgrounds in Franklin. Community members will feast on roasted pork, green beans, rolls, ice cream and keg root beer, while helping alleviate hunger in the county.
All of the proceeds are split equally between the Good Cheer Fund, a countywide initiative to distribute food baskets to the needy at Christmas, and the Interchurch Pantry in Franklin, which distributes food and household supplies to county residents in need.
Organizers estimate serving between 750 and 1,000 people.
“It’s turned into quite an event in town. Right before the Christmas season, everyone is in the holiday spirit,” said John Auld, who spearheads the dinner for the Franklin Rotary Club. “All of these people come together and enjoy talking to each other. It makes for a special day.”
The Rotary Club is the main engine behind the hog roast, but they partner with different groups to help bring in as much money as possible for its cause.
None of it could be done without Steve and Dan Malone, owners of Malone Catering in Indianapolis. He provides all of the catering and food, free of charge, Auld said.
“This wouldn’t happen without them. They donate all of the food, all of the equipment, all of the manpower. They lay it all out, and do everything,” Auld said.
Petro’s Culligan gives water for the dinner. Monarch Beverages provides drinks, including kegged Sprecher Root Beer. Indian Creek FFA sells pork chops and donates ice cream for root beer floats.
One of the more unique partnerships the Rotary has forged with the event is help from the Nimble Thimbles Quilt Club. The organization is a branch of the Johnson County Extension Homemakers, and meets once a month to carry on the tradition of sewing, quilting and other fabric arts.
Active in community service throughout the year, the club’s 84 members do everything from providing sewing supplies to local high schools to donating lap quilts for veterans on the Indy Honor Flights to making blankets for babies in intensive care.
“Members feel like they have a need to give back, that they’ve been very fortunate in their lives and want to give back to their community,” said Donna McElwain, president of the club.
One of their most recent projects is sewing and selling items at the hog roast. Starting in 2014, the club set up a booth at the event, offering everything from quilts to crocheted hats to Christmas tree decorations.
“It’s a great feeling for us. The money stays here locally in Johnson County, which is a great thing, and it helps out others who aren’t as fortunate as we are,” McElwain said. “Plus, we get to make things that we enjoy and share those with others, and everything goes to a good cause.”
The money they make is split equally between the Good Cheer Fund and the Interchurch Food Pantry, McElwain said. Last year, they presented $261 to each organization.
“As an organization, we’re always looking for ways to add to the total that we’re able to raise, and it’s a perfect fit,” Auld said. “It’s Christmastime, and people are always coming over looking for gifts and things like that.”
The hog roast was established by Jim Rhoades, a former county commissioner, owner of a Franklin hardware store and member of the Franklin Rotary Club.
He had the idea of starting a community-wide feast after a grill vendor approached him about a way to demonstrate his goods. But instead of just having a demonstration, Rhoades wanted to do something that would benefit the community.
The hog roast was born. Longtime supporters remember Rhoades cooking as many as 12 hogs and hundreds of chickens for the crowd, often manning the grills himself.
A tent was erected outside of his hardware store on Jefferson Street. Preparations took nearly two full days, between preparing the meat to cooking it to setting up all of the tables.
“It was a major, major production,” Auld said. “We had people frying turkeys here and there, people were making camp coffee, there were things going on all over the place.”
After Rhoades’ death in 2005, the Franklin Rotary Club decided it was a worthwhile cause to carry on, Auld said.
“We really couldn’t let it go. It was a great moneymaker, and people depend on it. It was a great way to carry on Jim’s legacy in giving back to the community,” he said. “We consolidated it to make it a little bit easier, and moved it to the fairgrounds.”
The event is important, not just in supporting worthy causes, such as the Good Cheer Fund and Interchurch Food Pantry, but in bring the community together.
People look forward to it throughout the year, and it often gives old friends a chance to reconnect over a meal.
“One of the neatest things about it is having all of these people coming in from around the county. They all know it’s for a good cause, and they’re there to have a good time,” Auld said.
Last year, they were able to raise $25,000 through the event, Auld said.
There is no set cost for the meal. Rather, organizers ask people to give what they can to the cause.
“We have $1,000 donations down to $1 donations. It’s a free-will offering; there’s no minimum, but we’d love to see everyone give at least $10 if they can,” Auld said.
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What: Jim Rhoades Memorial Hog Roast, hosted by the Franklin Rotary Club
When: 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Dec. 1
Where: Scott Hall at the Johnson County fairgrounds
Cost: The lunch is free, but donations are requested.
Why: Proceeds benefit the Johnson County Good Cheer Fund and Interchurch Food Pantry
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