Our 70th was a Milestone Seafood Festival!
The Abingdon Ruritan Club’s seafood festival on May 16th was a milestone event because it was the Club’s 70th fund raising seafood festival. The sell-out crowd enjoyed the usual delicious seafood and beverages but were also treated to some additional things to help celebrate this special event.
Catherine Smith was also recognized for having shucked clams for the clam booth for all 70 festivals. Club, president Tony Dziadul, vice president Mary Lou Shepherd and booth chairman Wells presented Smith with a special shirt to mark the occasion. Pictured on the shirt are 70 clams, one for each year. (from left Shepherd, Wells, Smith, Dziadul)

To make the event special, long-time sponsor Budweiser provided their mobile beer garden. The Club brought back its popular jello shooters. Commemorative shirts and caps were available for purchase and each guest was given a souvenir cup.

 

Pictured from left are Susan Osterfeld and Ashley McHugh enjoying jello shooters. Also pictured is Meredith Powell enjoying the always popular steamed crabs.
At the opening ceremony, seven Club members, Jonathan Beck, Graham Blake, David Dea, Walter Priest, Gordon Smith, Rupert Thomas and L.T. Wells were introduced and recognized for having worked all 70 festivals. In commemorating this milestone event, they have become known as “The Magnificent Seven”. Special shirts with a picture of the seven on the back were given to them to wear at the festival.

Pictured from left, front row: Wells, Priest, Dea, Smith. Back row from left: Thomas, Blake, Beck.