Larry the Lobster is wanted again.
Any Guelphites who might have information about the whereabouts of the giant red hard-shelled animal, are being urged to beware of his pincers and contact Lobsterfest authorities at the Rotary Club of Guelph with any tips.
Lobsterfest is not Lobsterfest without Larry according to the chair of the Rotary Lobsterfest committee, Marty Fairbairn.
Fairbairn says the beloved lobster has made an appearance at his favourite feast and fundraiser for the last 10 years, and is confident that as the event's number one fan, Larry will make a much awaited return to Lobsterfest 2024.
"He's on the loose," he said.
"But I think I can get a hold of him. I know him intimately," Fairbairn said with a wink.
Of course, Fairbairn says Larry is not the only lobster to make an appearance at the event.
Hosted by the Rotary Club of Guelph, the 44th annual Lobsterfest will be held on Sept. 28 at the Italian Canadian Club of Guelph where a large number of live lobsters on ice will be flown in from the east coast and boiled in ‘perfect Rotary style'.
The annual event includes dinner, live entertainment, dancing and an auction. Tickets are $150 per person and can be purchased here.
The Rotary invites the community to come and enjoy fresh lobster, seafood antipasto and smoky BBQ ribs, all while supporting Rotary projects locally and abroad.
The festive evening also includes bidding at the silent and live auctions followed by dancing to the live music from the Butter Sauce Band.
"The antipasto is to die for. And of course, if you are a carnivore, ribs at the Italian Canadian Club are the best in the area. They just fall off the bone," Fairbarin said.
"As for entertainment, we will have local fiddlers who will bring a 'down east' kind of flavour. The lobsters come in and then people sit down and eat together and then there's a live auction throughout the night too, ranging from new Seiko watches all the way up to a $500 barbeque. That's the silent part, but the live auction includes a sightseeing flight for two in a Cessna over Guelph."
For over four decades, the fundraising event aims to support Rotary local charities and global initiatives such as Food4KidsGuelph, The Grove Youth Wellness Hubs, Hospice Wellington, Rotary Forest, KidsAbility and ShelterBox.
"We used to have three major fundraisers a year that included Canada Day in the Park. But that is longer running. We had to step away from that which was a real shame after doing it for so many years," Fairbairn said.
The Rotary now hosts two major events in the city, including Sparkles in the Park, which has been running for over 30 years, and Lobsterfest which one of the biggest fundraisers for the organization.
"We have an international committee that has done water projects in Africa and India. Locally, we have raised funds for Food4Kids which supports over 500 kids a week," Fairbairn said.
"And of course, we started the Hospice way back in the day and the GroveYouth Hub. There's seven of those running now."
The Rotary Club of Guelph hopes to sell 410 tickets for Lobsterfest 2024.
As for Larry the Lobster, he can't seem to resist the annual event.
Fairbairn says he is confident that his longtime friend will make another appearance to the event where community support and all proceeds go a long way to help achieve Rotary’s goals.
But Fairbairn says, Lobsterfest has so much more to offer, than just lobster.
“It’s just a great time," Fairbairn said.
"Apart from being a huge amount of fun, it's about supporting so many important causes."
