Cheers erupted from packed tables in the Otter Lake Raymond Johnston Community Centre on Saturday night as groups were called up to fill their plates at the Otter Lake 50 Plus Club’s annual Christmas dinner and dance, the tickets for which sold out in a record two weeks.
“I have no idea why it sold out so fast this year,” said Janet Lafleur, president of the club. “It was a record to have it sell out so fast. I had people calling for tickets up until last night.”
Lafleur said that they used to have a member’s only dinner but they’ve opened it up to friends and family as well over the last few years. Crystal Dubeau of Rumours Resto-Café in Otter Lake has catered the event for the past three years. She said that while their restaurant is undergoing renovations, they’ve turned to catering.
“We hope to reopen the restaurant next year,” Dubeau said. “For now we’re catering, and this is the biggest dinner they’ve had that we did – 168 tickets.”
Mable Kluke, one of the founding members of the club, was there with an entire table of family members. She said that it’s simpler to have a family Christmas dinner this way, now that she’s 93 years old.
“I do this every Christmas to get everyone together,” Kluke said. “My family doesn’t want me to do Christmas dinner at home, so now I pay for everyone.”
