Oktoberfest party raises money for food pantry - Quad City Times

Oktoberfest party raises money for food pantry - Quad City Times

Organizers want the first-ever Lederhosen 5K and Oktoberfest Post-Race Party in Rock Island to be an annual event.

And why not? It celebrates German culture with German cuisine, a run/race and a venue to raise funds for the food pantry at Church of Peace in Rock Island. Last year, the food pantry served more than 1,600 families and supplied more than 38,000 pounds of food.

The initial event was held Saturday at Schwiebert Riverfront Park in downtown Rock Island and featured children's games, music and a traditional German meal. More than 120 people ran in the 5K that featured some runners in lederhosen, a traditional outfit for men, and dirndls, the traditional skirt outfit for women.

Children had their own half-mile fun run called Kinderlauf.

The Church of Peace United Church of Christ has been located in Rock Island since 1895. Jessica Waytenick, event coordinator and church member, said it was founded by German immigrants and originally was called Deutsche Evangelicalische Friedens Gemeinde or German Evangelical Peace Church.

She said that in 1912, the congregation built the church at its current location on 12th Street and 12th Avenue.

Today, it is involved in outreach efforts through its Book Nook, Meal Program site, Peacepals literacy tutoring program, ESL classes, Immigrant Cancer Education, Diapers for Baby Jesus and Saturday food pantry.

“We have had a food pantry for at least 15 years,” she said. "It is held every Saturday from 9-11 a.m. and serves people from all over. People can come once a month and they can just show up with identification.”

The party offered all types of German beers and a meal of either bratwurst or hot dog, sauerkraut, German potato salad and red cabbage cole slaw.

A slight drizzle coupled with temperatures in the low 60s did not seem to deter people from having a good time eating, drinking, playing games and listening to music.

“My family has some German heritage,” said Erin Suedt of Davenport, who ran the race in a dirndl. “I got second place overall women. I was a bit warm. I had a little more clothing than I am used to.

“We had friends who were promoting the race, and we had the costumes already, and this is a fundraiser supporting a local food bank.”

Kyle Dickson of Galesburg, Illinois, with the German American Heritage Center in Davenport, was staffing a booth that gave away pretzels and was signing up children for various games.

“We are getting people familiar with the German American Heritage Center and some little games that are traditionally German,” Dickson said.

Two of those games were eins, zwei, haltzen, or one, two, stop, which he said is similar to red light, green light. Another was katze und maus, or cat and mouse, which he said is somewhat like duck, duck, goose.

He said another person from the center also was at Front Street Brewery in Davenport on Saturday for another Oktoberfest event.

But the Rock Island event was all about getting food for the food pantry. Floyd and Sylvia Elliott of Milan were enjoying the fun while thinking about the pantry where they have served for three years.

“I had been a teacher in Rock Island, and I had seen the kind of need in our area,” she said, citing her reason for getting involved. “It seemed like it was something I could do.”

“I like helping people who need a helping hand,” Floyd Elliott said. “The pantry is open every Saturday, but we help every third Saturday in the month.”