VFW to host first-ever Shrimp Boil Jan. 28
Pine Island VFW Post #4353 will be holding its first-ever Shrimp Boil Friday, Jan. 28, from 4-7 p.m.
According to Pine Island VFW Post Commander Tom Ferguson, the upcoming Shrimp Boil will be an opportunity for islanders and mainlanders to enjoy an old-fashioned good time.
Funds raised from the event will go to various VFW programs, such as the scholarship program and the Voice of Democracy essay contest, he said. Each year the VFW chooses a theme based on the country’s direction, for which younger grade level children write a 300-word essay, Ferguson said. The high school level kids are invited to give an oral essay based on the same theme.
“These things are patriotically based, and the topics change every year,” Ferguson said.
The shrimp boil, said Ferguson, commonly a South Carolina tradition, includes boiling sausage, corn on the cob, potatoes and shrimp all together in a big pot. After the success of the recent Stone Crab Festival and Adopt-A-Crab auction, Ferguson said, it was decided another celebration type of event was next.
“It’s more of a social event than anything else,” Ferguson said.
As post commander, getting the word out about the VFW remains a constant priority for Ferguson, who said the VFW motto, “No one does more for veterans,” is still going strong.
A new program has begun, he said, called the Veterans Outreach Program.
“Older veterans may just want someone to talk to. They can come to the VFW or we will go and pick them up and they can come for an hour or two, have lunch and just talk with other like-minded veterans. The homeless veteran problem is something we’re really on top of. We feed numerous veterans to make sure they get enough to eat. We reach out, not only to veterans but to their families too,” Ferguson said.
Ferguson would like to see people from surrounding cities, such as Cape Coral, come out to the Shrimp Boil, he said, so they may also see how special it is to be a part of the Pine Island community.
Although this is the VFW’s first attempt at an event like this one, Ferguson’s hope is that it is successful enough to become an annual tradition.
Tickets to the event can be purchased for $30 and an alternate menu will be offered to those who prefer not to eat shrimp.
The Pine Island VFW Post is located at 8150 Stringfellow Road, St. James City, FL, 33956. For additional information, call the post at 239-283-2277.
To reach PAULETTE LeBLANC / pleblanc@breezenewspapers.com, please email