Turnout beefy for Quincy Ox Roast

September 06, 2009|By JENNIFER FITCH

QUINCY, Pa. -- The 75th annual Quincy Ox Roast continues today with what could perhaps be considered the main event, a family-style dinner serving the last of 2,600 pounds of beef cooked since Friday morning.

Swarms of people have descended on the Quincy Ox Roast grounds north of Waynesboro since food started being served Friday. Organizers speculated fair weather and Elvis impersonator David King were two major contributors to the high attendance.

"We were expecting a big crowd, but it's beyond expectations," said Molly Gossert, whose husband, Donald, volunteers as head cook.

On Sunday, the crowd looked as if it surpassed 1,000, due partly to youth football players and cheerleaders using playing fields supported by Ox Roast funds.

Quincy Panthers cheerleader Makayla Monn, 10, tried to keep up with a fast-melting Antietam Dairy ice cream cone before starting her favorite flips.

Her mother, Elizabeth Monn, said they've sampled the food for the last five years. They were joined by Colby Reed, who said the cheeseburger and french fries he purchased were offered at a good price.

Mark and Tiffany Brown, of Waynesboro, sat at a picnic table to try different Ox Roast food. The Browns said they appreciate how fresh the food is.

They grew up with the Ox Roast and brought their son, Hunter, for the past few years. The 8-year-old smiled with a messy face as he ate a steamer.

Barbara Mason and her mother, Pauline Vickerman, traveled from Hagerstown to the Quincy Ox Roast for the first time.

"I thought, for 75 years, they've probably figured out something," Barbara Mason said.

The Ox Roast will host a community yard sale starting at 8 a.m. Labor Day.

The Ox Roast began as a way to bring street lights to the community. The proceeds still pay the utility bills for those lights, as well as supporting area youth and families in need.

If you go ...

What: Quincy Ox Roast

When: Community yard sale, 8 a.m. Labor Day. Family-style meal, noon to 5 p.m. Labor Day.

Where: Ox Roast grounds, off Pa. 997 north of Waynesboro

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