Schmeckfest Attracts Large Crowd

People from throughout the area came away with full stomachs from the 58th annual Lustre Schmeckfest on Friday, March 24.

This year’s menu delights included wurst (sausage patties), rind flaesch (roast beef), verenika (cheese pockets), gravy, baked kraut (cabbage and bacon), henna souppe (chicken noodle), grune bohnen souppe (green bean), portzilke (new year’s cookies), perishke (fruit pockets), paepa naet (peppermints), zwiebach (double rolls), roll kuchen (crullers), pigs in the blanket (cabbage rolls), kirche moos (cheery sauce) and plumna moos (dried fruit sauce).

School superintendent Ric Cattell, in his second year in Lustre, joked that he felt more comfortable at the event than during his first year.

“I didn’t know what to expect,” he said of last year. “The real fun starts with the auction.”

Cattell was grateful with the excellent turnout. “It’s THE fundraiser for us,” he said.

The program included musical selections from the Lustre Christian High School’s band, high school choir, Mennonite Brethren quartet, Lisa Neufeld and Mindy Olfert and Alan Kliewer and Chuck Girard.

Ron Reddig served as emcee for the program.

Thanks to contributions and investment growth, the Lustre Christian High School Foundation provided a grant of more than $78,000 to the high school in 2022. The funds included the yearly grant of $53,307 and a special $25,000 gift for the purchase of a van. Overall, more than $824,000 has been given in regular yearly grants.

Board members of the foundation are Keith Unger as president, Grant Zerbe as vice president and Wilbur Unrau as secretary/treasurer.