Get your cheese curd fix before the fair
TINA L. SCOTT
EDITOR
The Merrill Optimist Club is designating Saturday, May 22, 2021, as “Curd fest” and will offer free orders of fried cheese curds for customers from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. or until 100 pounds of cheese curds are gone, whichever comes first. The event will take place at the Merrill Festival Grounds Optimist Cheese Curd stand. Soda, water, and popcorn will be sold, and donations wil be gratefully accepted, the Optimists say. [Parking will be available at the normal fair lots.]
This will definitely be a teaser to remind everyone what they missed in 2020, according to the Optimists. “For many people, the highlight of the Lincoln County Fair is the famous Optimist beer-battered fried cheese curds,” they say. “For over 50 years, the Optimist Club of Merrill has been making and selling these delicacies to provide its funding for a myriad of local youth programs. When the 2020 fair was canceled, the organization’s funding was eliminated and programs were cut extensively. Fortunately, the Lincoln County Fair will be back in 2021, and the Optimists will be there making and selling curds.”
“We are excited to get back into the swing of things and perfect our batter and frying skills once again,” said Sarah Sturm, current Merrill Optimist Club President. “By having this ‘free curd day,’ we will be ready to provide the same great curds for the crowds of hungry consumers at the fair once again.”
Optimist International is recognized worldwide as the premier volunteer organization that values all children and helps them develop to their full potential. Their purpose is to develop optimism as a philosophy of life utilizing the tenets of the Optimist Creed; to promote an active interest in good government and civic affairs; to inspire respect for the law; to promote patriotism and work for international accord and friendship among all people; to aid and encourage the development of youth, in the belief that the giving of one’s self in service to others will advance the well-being of humankind, community life and the world. By providing hope and positive vision, Optimist International hopes to bring out the best in youth, our communities, and ourselves. For more information on Optimist International, visit www.optimist.org. For resources on joining the Merrill Optimist Club, contact President, Sarah Sturm at [email protected].