Halfway Lions crab feed returns, raises funds for community center

The Halfway Lions Club will reopen Lions Hall for its 58th annual crab feed on Saturday, March 14, a major fundraiser that keeps the rural community center and its programs running. The all-you-can-eat meal runs from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., with tickets priced at $65 and children 10 and younger eating free. Organizers aim to sell 800 tickets.

The crab feed began in 1966 and, with two cancellations during the COVID pandemic, this year’s event marks a long-standing spring tradition. Organizers bring in Oregon Dungeness crab from Newport the day before and serve it with large bowls of potato salad, baked beans, coleslaw and Texas toast, alongside water, soda, beer and Clamato juice. Last year the club added a takeout option; about 28 people used it, and customers can request takeout by calling 541-742-4025.

Karen Endersby, chair of the crab feed committee, said the event draws regulars and visitors alike. “It’s been such a tradition,” she said. “We’ve had lines go clear out to Main Street.” The club erects canopies, benches and warming stations for those waiting, and Pine Eagle School typically loans benches and kitchen space to help manage the crowd.

Proceeds from the feed support the Lions Hall, one of only two Lions clubs in Oregon that owns its own building and park. The hall sits on the former elementary school site and serves as a hub for local life: youth events use the facility free of charge, the space houses the club’s food bank, and it is regularly rented for meetings, yoga classes, memorials and receptions. “There’s something scheduled every week - it truly is a center for the community,” Endersby said. “The crab feed has transformed into a major fundraiser to keep our doors open.”

The event highlights how rural nonprofits rely on volunteer labor and local partnerships to provide essential services. Endersby credited local businesses and agencies with in-kind support: Idaho Power donates portable toilets, Pepsi supplies beverages, and the club typically receives a transient lodging tax grant to offset expenses. “A boatload of volunteers,” she said. “We couldn’t do it without community volunteers. It’s an all-hands-on-deck function.”

Tickets are available at Ryder Bros. in Baker City, Halfway Feed and Seed, Richland Feed and Seed, Halfway Sober Liquor Store, or online at tinyurl.com/hnnm6cb3. Payments with a self-addressed stamped envelope may be mailed to Halfway Lions, PO Box 441, Halfway, OR 97834. For information, call 541-742-4025.

For Halfway and surrounding communities, the crab feed is more than a meal; it is a financial lifeline for shared space, youth programming and food assistance. Readers who want to attend, donate or volunteer can buy early and call the Lions to learn how to help keep the hall and its services running.