Beef, chicken and pork are well-known meats that satisfy tastebuds, but the Friends of Sampson County Waterways is inviting to take a walk on the wild side.
The organization is hosting the 2018 Wild Game Cookout at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 13, in downtown at the Clinton City Market on Lisbon Street. During the event, wild game and other food will be served at noon.
Chrissy Carr, FSCW secretary, is looking forward to the annual event, which features meats such as squirrels, deer and bear.
“There’s always things there that aren’t as adventurous,” Carr said while talking about the variety of foods.
Last year, Carr made Cornish game hens for people to enjoy. She described the dish as a fancy chicken.
“Sometimes you’ll never know, we may have frog legs or something out of the ordinary may just turn up,” she said. “You never know. You’ll taste a little bit of everything and walk away with a full belly.”
Admission is $8 for adults and $4 for children 10 and under. Payment may also be substituted by bringing a dish to share with everyone at the cookout. If participants want to grill their own game, they must bring their own grill and arrive early. Alcohol is not allowed.
Carr said cooking participation is highly encouraged.
“We’d rather have the participation and have more food versus having money come in from the tickets,” she said. “We really want a big turnout for this.”
Friends of Waterways is hosting a raffle for a Santee Hurricane Kayak. Drawing will be held after lunch. Tickets are $5.
Proceeds from the cookout and raffle will go towards FSCW and will support their mission of preserving waterways in Sampson County.
“This event will be something for people to come out and not only enjoy food and fellowship, but learn about what Friends of Sampson County Waterways does,” Carr said.
The nonprofit works in the Black River, South River, Six Runs Creek, Great Coharie Creek and Little Coharie Creek. Members participate in a lot of cleanup efforts during the year.
“It’s always needed, especially with Hurricane Matthew,” Carr said. “A lot of the rivers are clogged up from that and beaver dams are a problem.”
FSCW is also working to get more residents interested. The group meets at 7 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month at Pizza Inn, 1103 Sunset Ave., Clinton.
The organization is also involved with promoting a feasibility study for the proposed Black River State Park.
“That will be a great addition to the county as far as tourism,” she said referring to the history of the river, which is home to 1,600 year-old cypress trees, which are the oldest in the world.
For more information, contact Ralph Hamilton at 910-590-6281 or Cebron Fussell at 910-592-7373.
