Lobsterfest returns in 2022 for 702 Wing

By Nicholas Allen - for the Lethbridge Herald on June 4, 2022.

The local RCAF association is hosting its annual ‘Lobsterfest’ after a two-year hiatus.
The 702 Wing Annual Lobsterfest is being brought back again this year on June 11 at the 702 Wing facility at the Lethbridge Airport.
Proceeds from the event will go to 702 Wing, Royal Canadian Legion General Stewart Branch and the 11 Squadron Royal Canadian Air Cadets.
Wayne King, a current member of both the 702 Wing and the local legion, said he recognized how important the event is for the community and how it has helped it grow.
“It has been a long-standing tradition in our community for 30 years or more. The annual Lobsterfest held by 702 Wing of the RCAF Association started out as a fairly small function with unit members,” said King.
He said it has now expanded and grown from there to where, at its peak, they provided the lobsterfest for “400 people or more.”
“[The proceeds] pay a lot of our ongoing administrative costs,” explained King. “Our facilities out at the airport are not owned by the Wing. We’re on airport land and we pay rent there. We are responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the building, but we still have to pay land rent plus all of the utilities… and this helps us defray those costs.”
He said it also enables the organization to continue to provide some funding for other social activities in the Lethbridge area along with youth activities such as the air cadets. He said that it was necessary to get back to putting on the event after a hiatus during the pandemic.
“We’ve been out of the picture now for two years. And if we don’t renew [interest], then people quickly forget. It’s more difficult to get back into it… we still have the basic structure and the know how to put this on,” said King. “If we can get the program going, it’s going to renew the lobsterfest in the minds of those who like to attend this function.”
The event requires aprroximately 35 volunteers says King. The partnership with the Legion was due mainly to a lack of membership within the 702 Wing, explained King.
“The 702 Wing, unfortunately, like many not-for-profit organizations such as ours, has been diminishing in membership over the years and not only diminishing membership, but also advancing of age. The average age of our membership now is pretty close to 80,” said King.
He said the location of some members also poses an issue when it comes to the running of Lobsterfest with numerous members being in Calgary or the towns surrounding Lethbridge.
“And yet, it’s a function which the Lethbridge Legion certainly is interested in preserving and maintaining. I myself, like many of our 702 members, am a member of the Legion as well,” said King.
According to King, his responsibilities at the Legion are meeting with veterans and trying to assist them in securing the support they are entitled to through Veterans Affairs.
“I know they want to maintain this sort of activity as much as possible, so they’ve offered to join us and see if on a collaborative basis we can continue this function,” said King.
The function takes place on June 11 at the 702 Wing facility at 174 Stubb Ross Road, Lethbridge Airport. All tickets must be purchased by June 7 with tickets costing $85 each. No tickets will be available at the door.
To get tickets, call Wayne at 403-329-1732 or 403-330-6666.