Sarnia’s Summer Dinner in Whites gathers on the waterfront

Sarnias Summer Dinner in Whites gathers on the waterfront

Nearly 300 participants arrived Thursday evening at the St. Clair riverfront for this year’s edition of Sarnia’s Summer Dinner in Whites.

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It was the seventh running of the pop-up dinner where participant buy tickets, pack a picnic lunch, plates and flatware, dress in white and arrive at a pre-arranged gathering point on the event night before taking a shuttle or walking to the secret location.

This year’s spot was a parking lot at the Lambton Area Water Supply System next to the river and just north of the Blue Water Bridge.

A parade of participants walked with guides through Point Edward to reach the spot where tables were set up, the Brennan-Williams Quartet was entertaining and a dance floor was set up for later in the evening.

This year’s dinner was a fundraiser for the Youth Wellness Hub Ontario Sarnia-Lambton and the Family Connections program of the Sashbear Foundation, a charity for Canadian families affected by mental health challenges.

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The local event, which began in 2014, follows an international tradition started in Paris, in which large groups dress in white, pack their own food and dine together at a secret outdoor location.

Previously called the Simply White Dinner, the Sarnia event became a fundraiser last year in support of the Youth Wellness Hub.

The hub, which opened last year in downtown Sarnia, was created through a partnership involving St. Clair Child & Youth Services, Bluewater Health, Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Lambton Kent and the Bluewater Health Foundation.

It is designed to provide young people with quick access to mental health and addictions education, assessments, counseling and treatment.



MORE PHOTOS

Some of the nearly 300 participants in Thursday evening’s Summer Dinner in Whites settle in next to the St. Clair River and the Blue Water Bridge. Photo by Paul Morden /The Observer
Summer Dinner in Whites
Dave Williams, with the Brennan-Williams Quartet, smiles while playing as nearly 300 participants in Thursday evening’s Summer Dinner in Whites gather in Sarnia next to the St. Clair River and the Blue Water Bridge. (Paul Morden/The Observer) Photo by Paul Morden /The Observer


Summer Dinner in Whites
Event coordinator Kelly-Lynn Musico welcomes nearly 300 participants to Thursday evening’s Summer Dinner in Whites next to the St. Clair River and the Blue Water Bridge. (Paul Morden/The Observer) Photo by Paul Morden /The Observer


Summer Dinner in Whites
Event coordinator Kelly-Lynn Musico leads participants at Thursday evening’s Summer Dinner in Whites next to the St. Clair River and the Blue Water Bridge in a traditional waving of dinner napkins at the start of the evening. (Paul Morden/The Observer) Photo by Paul Morden /The Observer


Summer Dinner in Whites
Frank Brennan, with the Brennan-Williams quartet, performs for nearly 300 attendees at Thursday evening’s Summer Dinner in Whites. (Paul Morden/The Observer) Photo by Paul Morden /The Observer

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