Hamburger picnic draws hungry crowd

Sue Sitter/PCT Rugby Lions members serving burgers from left Judy Jelsing, Jennifer Suko and Sandy Mongeon.
The smell of burgers and the sound of music filled the air at Ellery Park in Rugby Wednesday, June 28, presented by the Rugby Lions Club.
The twice-a-year hamburger picnic drew a crowd of hungry area residents who enjoyed burgers, different salads and ice cream before sitting down to enjoy the music of Ron E. Cash, a Minnesota-based musician who played tunes in the style of Johnny Cash
The hamburger picnic at Music in the Park has been an annual tradition for the Rugby Lions since Music in the Park began in 1996.
“We started it as a fundraiser to support Music in the Park to pay for it. Our first-year budget was $1,500 to pay for the entertainment – all of it. And we raised just about enough in our two picnics to cover that cost. That’s how it started,” Wollenburg said “Of course, things have changed, and things have gotten a lot more expensive for entertainment. So, we’ve kept this tradition going. Every year, we have at least two picnics.”
The Rugby Lions Club will hold its next Hamburger Picnic at Music in the Park, Wednesday, July 26. Featured onstage will be Too Old to Stand, a band playing classic rock tunes from the ’50s and ’60s. On Wednesday, July 12, Music in the Park will present bluegrass and gospel band Figuring It Out at 7 p.m.