Holyrood Rib Fest nets $50K for Make-A-Wish

By Craig Westcott/September 23, 2022

Logan Rumbolt and his family will now have a better chance of enjoying the great outdoors, whatever the season, thanks to the supporters of the Make-a-Wish Foundation, the Town of Holyrood and the hearty appetites of its residents.

Logan, who spends a lot of time in a wheelchair because of cerebral palsy, and his mom Amy, were guests of Holyrood council Tuesday where they witnessed council make a $50,000 donation to the Make-A Wish Foundation, money that will pay for five wishes for families such as the Rumbolts.

In Logan’s case, the money will cover the cost of a Josie Stroller, essentially a state-of-the-art conveyance with interchangeable parts such as all-terrain wheels and skis to allow for mobility no matter the time of year.

Holyrood raised the money by hosting a weekend Rib Fest this past summer at its festival grounds.

“The Rib Fest was a first for our town and quite obviously it was a tremendous success,” said Mayor Gary Goobie. “And hopefully this will become an annual event.”

There were two rib trucks on hand for the event – Texas Rangers Barbeque and Crabby’s Barbeque Shop.

“From what I heard, people absolutely loved the ribs,” said Goobie. “There was entertainment there the whole weekend and people came down, sat around, ate, an listened to some entertainment, while others came and picked it up as a take-out order and went on home.”

Goobie said along with the hard work of the Town’s public works and administrative staff, the event required many volunteers, many of them long serving contributors of their time to the Crystal Carnival and Squidfest throughout the years. The entertainers too donated their talents, Goobie noted. Similarly, the event’s sponsors dug deep and donated generously, he said.

But he had a special message of gratitude to the public who showed up for the scoff.

“I’ve got to say a huge thank you, because if you don’t have people come out to support it, your event is not going to be a success,” he said. “And it certainly was a huge success.”

Barry Fowler, the interim vice president of the Atlantic Canada chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, thanked Goobie and council for their support, as well as the Town’s economic development officer, Marjorie Gibbons, and Director of Recreation, Steve Martin.

“That was magical what happened,” Fowler said of the fundraiser. “It came together in a very short period of time. We have Amy and Logan here today. They’re from Holyrood and they’re representative of Wish families all across Newfoundland and Labrador. We go deep into the communities and that’s one of the wonderful things we do at Make-A-Wish Canada. Yes, Logan is in his wish, and the accessories are there. Your family can get outside, you can enjoy the Newfoundland landscape together. But I think it’s more than a wish. Would you say that it’s a game changer? Wishes for children and their families have an impact that reverberates into the community as well, and this is certainly a great community effort.”

Fowler said the Make-A-Wish Foundation has some 600 volunteers across the province. On behalf of them, as well as the group’s sponsors and supporters, he thanked Holyrood council for “your commitment and your engagement with the mission, and your love.”

Fowler noted that to his knowledge, the biggest fundraiser held in Atlantic Canada before now raised some $25,000. The Holyrood Rib Fest doubled that.

“That’s five wishes, five families, five communities, five lives changed,” said Fowler. “This is incredible… This is so wonderful… Honestly, thank you. It was a model event.”

Goobie seemed delighted the Town was able to do something to help Logan enjoy spending time outdoors with his family, something that was limited before now because his severe case of cerebral palsy limits his mobility. “Getting around outside in his wheelchair can be challenging,” said the mayor. “That’s why Logan wished for a Josi Stroller so he can spend even more time outside with his family participating in all of the activities they love doing together.”

The Make-A Wish Foundation partnered with Lawtons’ Drugs to deliver the stroller this past May. “Now Logan can spend more time in the beautiful Newfoundland landscape all year round with those who mean the most to him,” said Goobie. “That is absolutely wonderful that the wish has been granted to Logan.”

Logan’s Mom was clearly touched by the Town’s and the foundation’s generosity.

“It’s a bit emotional, as you can imagine, to be able to go further than our driveway, and actually take him for a walk,” she said. 

The Josi Stroller will allow the family to pack up their camper and take Logan on road trips, Rumbolt added.

“On behalf of my family and on behalf of Logan and everybody else, all the kids, and all the families, a huge, huge thank you,” said Rumbolt. “It makes a world of difference to what we can and cannot do. Thank you.”