Rochester

Annual Lobster Boil fundraiser is ‘Maine’ event

By Mary Beth Almond
C & G Staff Writer

ROCHESTER — The Rochester Junior Women’s Club is ready to get cookin’ for its 14th annual Lobster Boil fundraiser Sept. 29.

During the event, which raises money for local charities each year, thousands of fresh New England lobsters are doled out to anxious motorists at the Older Persons’ Commission, 650 Letica. The morning of the event, the group flies in more than 1,300 live lobsters — ranging in size from 1 to 1 1/4 pounds — from New England.

“They are flown in fresh that morning from Maine, and we have a truck that picks them up and brings them back,” said Linda Dill, who is chairing this year’s event with Toni Wiley, Nancy Kamman, Cyndi Toupin and Pam Teimorzadeh.

After 14 years of practice, organizers have the process down. Community members who preordered their lobsters simply drive up to the OPC, at a reserved time, and the lobsters are handed to them directly through their car window. Pre-orders are accepted on the events page at www.rhpl.org/rjwc through Sept. 16.

“We have it down to a science. We know how many to cook at one time, so they are ready to pick up at each pickup time,” said Dill.

“The health inspector comes out every year to check everything and make sure that we have everything down pat before we can even start cooking: water temperature, the refrigerated truck that we keep the lobsters in — everything has to be monitored,” Wiley added.

Those who order can either have club members cook their lobsters at the OPC just before their pickup time between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., or they can pick up live lobsters at noon to cook themselves at home — as long as they bring a container to transport the crustaceans home in. Lobsters cost $18 each, and a 13th lobster is free on orders for a baker’s dozen.

“People don’t even have to get out of their car. They preorder them ahead of time, and it’s a drive-thru. You can either have them cooked or you can pick them up live. We do all the work,” said Wiley.

The community has really embraced the fundraiser since its inaugural year, Wiley added.

“I was there when they did the first lobster boil, and I’ve worked it every year,” she said. “The first year we probably only sold about 700 lobsters. It was a learning experience for all of us, but now we have it very down pat. It’s like a production line almost, and we probably sell about 1,500 lobsters now.”

Dill said people have ordered anywhere from one to more than 30 lobsters at a time.

“We have people contacting us in midsummer to make sure they know when we are having our lobster boil,” she added.

The selected charities and benefiting organizations from the fundraiser vary each year. This year, the proceeds will benefit Crittenton Hospital Medical Center Foundation, the Friends of the Rochester Hills Public Library, Leader Dogs for the Blind, the Older Persons’ Commission and other local charities.

For more information or to order, call the RJWC at (248) 941-7991 or email catoupin@comcast.net.

You can reach C & G Staff Writer Mary Beth Almond at malmond@candgnews.com or at (586)498-1060.