Midland Rotary Feeds Hundreds at Free Waterfront Lunch

The smell of grilled hot dogs mixed with live music along Midland's waterfront today as the Rotary Club served up free lunch and genuine connection to hundreds of neighbors.

From noon to 1 p.m., volunteers transformed the town dock into a celebration of community kindness. Hot dogs sizzled on the grill while Marlon Gibbons performed, children lined up for face painting, and strangers became friends over coffee and conversation.

The free barbecue marks the centerpiece of Midland's Random Acts of Kindness Day, a tradition launched 14 years ago by Rotary member Britt McKerrow. This year's sunny weather helped draw one of the strongest turnouts the event has seen.

McKerrow joined the Rotary Club 18 years ago after watching the group quietly support countless local organizations. "I admired the work they did in our community," she said. "The club helps so many organizations and I wanted to be a part of it, too."

She created Random Acts of Kindness Day to spark a wave of generosity throughout Midland during the final week of May each year. Now organized by Kim Hacker, the event reminds residents that small gestures matter.

Local businesses stepped up to make the celebration possible. Tim Hortons donated sweet treats, Grounded Coffee supplied the coffee, and Giant Tiger provided hot dogs and buns while Rotary volunteers handled the cooking and serving.

The Ripple Effect

The event asks just one thing in return: that everyone who attends pays it forward with a good deed. Volunteers handed out kindness cards encouraging people to spread goodwill beyond the dock.

McKerrow believes kindness spreads like ripples in water. "We just think it's important to give back to our community because we think it's the best community in Ontario," she said. "We just work to make it even better."

Over 14 years, McKerrow has coordinated everything from entertainment to advertising, designed Rotary T-shirts, and rallied volunteers around a simple idea. The smallest act of kindness can brighten someone's day and inspire them to do the same for another.

As the lunch hour ended and neighbors walked away with full stomachs and lighter hearts, the real work began: hundreds of people carrying kindness into their next interaction.