Ss. Robert & William parish planning new family oriented summer festival

LOOKING FOR A LUCKY WINNER—Father John Betters, pastor at Sts. Robert & William Parish, and festival director Ellen Ivory are hoping to sell plenty of tickets for the drawing that will award a top prize of $10,000. Raffle tickets are $5 each or five for $20. The three-day parish summer festival is slated for August 19-21. Raffle tickets are available at the rectory on East 260th St. Tickets for the August 20 “Taste of Nations” event are available for $35 until July 22; after that date, the price jumps to $40. For tickets to the dinner event contact the Parish office at 216-731-1515 or Jay Sweet at 731-7211. (Photo by John Sheridan)

Several large banners are now on display at Ss. Robert and William Catholic Church, inviting parishioners and members of the community-at-large to enjoy “Three days of family, food, music, and fun!”

It all happens the weekend of Aug. 19-21 when the parish hosts what will probably be Euclid’s biggest summer festival this year.

But don’t expect to find carnival rides or the usual junk foods typically sold at street carnivals. The three-day event will feature pony rides and inflatables for the youngsters, as well as rides in the Euclid Beach Rocket Ship car.  For the adults, one of the main attractions will be the Taste of Nations dinner event the evening of Aug. 20, beginning at 6 p.m.

“We want our festival to be very safe and family oriented,” explains Father John Betters, pastor of the new parish, created by the merger of the former St. Robert and St. William parishes.

The Taste of Nations event, which will take place in the elementary school building, will include international entertainment during dinner and a silent auction, as well as a Chinese auction. The dinner menu will feature a variety of nationality foods prepared by members of the parish, including stuffed cabbage, wiener schnitzel, Italian pasta, and Irish corned beef, as well as Hispanic and Asian dishes.  The adults-only event, which attracted sell-out crowds in past years when it was a major fund-raiser for St. William, will also include imported beers and a wine-tasting feature that’s included in the ticket price.

Tickets are $40; however, advance tickets—purchased before July 22—are just $35. Taste of Nations tickets are available from the parish office at (216) 731-1515 or Jay Sweet at (216) 731-7211.)

There is no admission charge for the three-day outdoor festival, which will also include “casino” games in an air-conditioned indoor setting. Texas Hold ‘Em poker, blackjack and dice games will be available. The festivities are slated for 6 to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 19-20, and from 1 to 8 p.m. on Sunday.

A major highlight of this year’s festival is a drawing in which the lucky first-prize winner will walk off with $10,000. Tickets for the drawing are $5 each and can be purchased at the parish rectory, 367 East 260th Street.

Father Betters, appointed pastor in January 2010, notes that the parish recognized an opportunity for a major event as a result of the void created when the long-running East 185th Street festival was discontinued several years ago.

“This year,” he points out, “we are actually combining three different events -- the former St. Robert festival, the St. William parish picnic and the Taste of Nations — into a single three-day festival. We are blending the traditions of the two former parishes to create a new tradition for this new parish.”

Father Betters and his 35-member planning committee are hoping the festival will attract families not only from Euclid, but also from surrounding communities. Committee chairman John Granito has been working with festival director Ellen Ivory to coordinate the efforts of more than 120 volunteers.

Entertainment during the festival will include performances by “Pieces of Eight” and “Phil and the Blanks,” bands which play music from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, as well as the Don Wotijla polka band.  Irish dancers and other attractions are also on tap, including an outdoor beer garden and an All-American grill serving hot dogs, hamburgers and chicken.

For more information, contact the Ss. Robert and William rectory at 216-731-1515, or visit the parish website:  www.srweuclid.cc.

{SIDEBAR STORY:}

An award-winning workplace

Ss. Robert and William parish was recently recognized as one of Northeast Ohio’s “best places to work” in a special section of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. The newspaper saluted workplaces, most of them in the business world, that treat employees well and provide a good working environment. The Euclid parish, which has 57 employees, including its school teachers, was honored in the “small workplace” category.

PHOTO CAPTION for Festival story 

[PHOTO B--will be on chip. I'll also drop off a hard copy]

LOOKING FOR A LUCKY WINNER—Father John Betters, pastor at Ss. Robert & William Parish, and festival director Ellen Ivory are hoping to sell plenty of tickets for the drawing that will award a top prize of $10,000. Raffle tickets are $5 each or five for $20. The three-day parish summer festival is slated for Aug. 19-21. Raffle tickets are available at the parish rectory, as are tickets for the Aug. 20 Taste of Nations dinner for $35 until July 22 and $40 after that date. For tickets to the dinner event contact the parish office at (216)731-1515 or Jay Sweet at (216) 731-7211.