Gillian Joudrie, secretary for the River John Community Action Society, holds up a copy of the Flavours of River John and Beyond cookbook. Photo by Aidan Rawding /The NewsArticle contentRIVER JOHN – The River John Community Action Society’s (RJCAS) recent fundraiser is one where community and cooking come together in a special keepsake.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentThe Flavours of River John and Beyond cookbook features recipes submitted by residents from the Village of River John.Article contentArticle content“I know community cookbooks used to be really popular back in the day,” said Gillian Joudrie, secretary for the RJCAS, who came up with the idea.Article contentArticle content“I haven’t seen one in a very long time, so I thought it would be a great fundraiser just given there’s so many people in our community … different walks of life, ages, all of that.”Article contentEstablished in 2005, the RJCAS is a local non-profit group that focuses on community development in the village and surrounding areas. The money from every cookbook purchased goes right back to the society and will be put toward their current and future projects.Article contentThe society has helped bring new additions to the village’s waterfront like Roger’s Landing, which has a community boat launch, kayak launch and docks, as well as floating docks at Bissell Park.Article contentOther projects include running their local newspaper, The Pioneer, and hosting an annual Christmas tree lighting in Bissell Park.Article contentSo far, the society has fundraised around $2,700 through the community cookbook project.Article contentArticle content The money from every cookbook purchased goes right back to the society and will be put toward their current and future projects. Photo by Aidan Rawding /The NewsArticle content“Everyone was super excited to engage with the book,” said Joudrie, adding that an estimated 80 to 90 people contributed recipes.Article contentEven recipes from local businesses like The Overstreet Cafe and Yap’s Place can be found in the pages.Article contentRiver John resident Amy Fraser submitted her pineapple salsa, cashew chicken, and chocolate chip cookie recipes, to name a few.Article content“River John’s such a great community,” Fraser said, “that anything to help with fundraisers … I’m always more than willing.”Article contentFraser shares that she has a River John cookbook from around 45 or 50 years ago, which was given to her by her husband’s aunt.Article contentOne of the reasons why she wanted to contribute to this new community cookbook is so that it could be shared with her family in the future.Article content“I just thought it’d be really neat to put some of my recipes in, so that way, maybe in 40 or 50 years, my grandkids could see those recipes,” she said.Article contentJoudrie said the cookbook was a community effort, and that the project couldn’t have happened without help from everyone who submitted recipes.Article content“It was a great fundraiser,” she continued, adding that she’s considering placing a second round of orders. “Everyone had nothing but great things to say about them.”Article content
River John fundraiser brings community and cooking together
