26 January 2023
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Volunteers are busy getting ready for a big Wichita fundraiser that feeds thousands of people each year.
St. Paul’s United Methodist Church is holding its 76th Annual Chicken Noodle Dinner this Saturday, Jan. 28. One of the reasons it gets such a large turnout is that everything is made from scratch.
The price of eggs could have been a problem this year, but organizers say they got a lot of donations.
“We have a relationship with Cal-Maine, which is the largest egg producer in the Midwest, and they donated 90 dozen eggs to us, and we got the rest of our eggs for a dollar a dozen,” Rob Scott, head organizer for the dinner, said.
Other companies and grocery stores also donated products. He said the church pays it forward by using the money raised to support church programs and feed the homeless.
“We give away 200 to 250 sack lunches a week, and so that comes up to quite an expense,” Scott said.
There will be a lot of food for sale on Saturday. Scott did not say how many people they are expecting, but last year, they planned for more than 2,000.
“We make all of our own noodles,” Scott said. “We had 50 people making noodles two weeks ago, and we started at 8:15 in the morning and made and cut our own noodles and spread them out on tables here in the dining room. We had 98 eight-foot tables full of noodles drying and, so we have plenty of noodles, plenty of food.”
On Thursday, volunteers were cooking and deboning chicken for the soup.
The menu also includes mashed potatoes and gravy, coleslaw, pies and cakes. Dinners cost $12, but you can buy items separately.
The hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday at 1356 North Broadway. It’s at the corner of 13th North and Broadway. Scott said to enter the parking lot from Topeka Street.
The event will be drive-thru only. Organizers expect close to 100 volunteers will be helping to take orders and run them to the parking lot.