We’ve never forgotten our roots and where we made our start and man it felt good to spend some time with one of our very first loyal Cilantro and Chive guests and supporters Jamil Rawji!  A true community leader devoted to serving others, Jamil was our May Burger of the Month Guest Chef at our Lacombe location.

Jamil is the owner of Ponoka Professional Pharmacy and he helped serve up a little spice that the Doctor surely ordered!  His “Royal 66″ included a marinated chicken breast, pepper jack cheese, arugula, sliced tomato and pickles, shaved onion, and Moroccan aioli on a garlic butter brioche bun! $2 from every Lacombe May Burger of the Month sold will go directly to Jamil’s charity of choice the Ponoka Legion Branch 66.

Recognizing revenue streams are down, Jamil and his family wanted to show their appreciation and support for a community organization that is a second home to those who have served our country.  Offering up a place for the whole community to connect, Jamil says his family misses the socialization and support the Legion offers to the community.

The pandemic has severely impacted the Legion’s ability to generate revenue, they rely on events, rentals of their facility and memberships.  Despite the obstacles over the last 15 months, the Legion launched a Poppy Store, selling Legion masks, commemorative pins, and branded clothing.  They’ve made every effort to shift Veteran support to keeping connected with phone calls and letters.  Branch 66 received its charter and opened on May 4^th, 1928.  Their mission is to serve Veterans, regardless of where or when they served, including military and RCMP members and their families, to promote Remembrance and to serve the community and country.

Thanks to your support of our beloved Burger of the Month Program Jamil helped us hand over $812 to Ponoka Legion Branch 66 today (Friday, June 5th).  Thanks to the amazing support we see from our guests for our Burger of the Month program month after month, we have had the opportunity to give back over $80,000 to local charities over the past 52 months!  THANK-YOU!

The June Burger of the Month in Lacombe is “KIMCHI THE BEST” created in collaboration with guest chef Calder Sutton. It includes steamed bao with sriracha aioli, vegetarian Kimchi, a house made 4oz beef smash patty topped with hoisin ketchup, red miso glazed shredded pork, fresh pea shoots and garnished with a charred scallion! $2 from every Lacombe June Burger of the Month sold will go directly to the families of Andrew Abel & Nathaniel Johnson.

For more information contact:

Kaitlyn Knapp

Manager

Ponoka Legion

403.783.4076

rclbranch66@telus.net

Jamil Rawji

May LA BOTM Guest Chef

Ponoka Professional Pharmacy

403.783.3333

ponokarx@telusplanet.net

Kim Kay

Community Relations

Cilantro and Chive

403.597.2127

kim@cilantroandchive.ca

BOOM!  Much like our firecracker of a Guest Chef for April in Lacombe, burger sales most definitely went off like a bang!

A little spice and everything nice is the perfect way to sum up Guest Chef Merry Kuchle!  Merry, originally from Alabama, is a blogger, entrepreneur, and all-around stand-up community member.  She now calls Gull Lake home and owns and operates Merry’s Mercantile in Bentley.  Her “SOUTHERN COMFORT” burger included a smoke marinated chicken breast, Alabama white sauce, Birmingham slaw, zesty pimento cheese (queso) on a toasted potato roll skewered with pepperoncini! $2 from every Lacombe April Burger of the month sold is going directly to Merry’s charity of choice the Central Alberta Women’s Emergency Shelter (CAWES).

Supporting women and children impacted by family violence is a cause close to Merry’s heart, as she has seen the effects firsthand.  Long ago, she herself was able to leave a difficult situation with the help of a caring support network.  Merry would love to pay it forward to local women who are seeking safer futures for their families.

We all know these are extremely difficult times, and Roxanne Kirton with CAWES says the pandemic has added a layer of complexity to domestic and intimate partner violence, due to the vulnerability of families and isolation requirements.  Experts have reported a 57% increase in calls, texts and chats to Alberta’s One Line for Sexual Violence since the start of the pandemic, and there’s also been an increase of calls to the shelter’s 24-hour crisis line and requests for admission.  Further complicating an already dire situation Kirton says CAWES has lost a significant amount in donations due to cancelled fundraisers and events because of the pandemic over the last year.  Kirton says donations like this one will help them continue to provide a safe and secure place for women and children to live, when their home is too dangerous.  Children have access to a safe bed, clothes, school supplies and their Children’s Healing Centre and mothers have access to 24-hour crisis intervention and emotional support, nurturing parent programs and support groups and individual cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

Thanks to your support of our beloved Burger of the Month Program Merry helped us hand over $888 to the Central Alberta Women’s Emergency Shelter today.  Thanks to the amazing support we see from our guests for our Burger of the Month program month after month, we have had the opportunity to give back over $75,000 to local charities over the past 51 months!  THANK-YOU!

The May Burger of the Month in Lacombe is the “” created in collaboration with Guest Chef Jamil Rawji of Ponoka Professional Pharmacy, one of our first Cilantro and Chive customers.  It includes……! $2 from every Lacombe April Burger of the month sold will go directly to Jamil’s charity of choice…….

For more information contact:

Roxanne Kirton

Central Alberta Women’s Emergency Shelter

403.352.4080

roxanne.kirton@cawes.com

Merry Kuchle

April LA BOTM Guest Chef

Merry’s Mercantile

587.897.4316

merrysmercantile@gmail.com

Kim Kay

Community Relations

Cilantro and Chive

403.597.2127

kim@cilantroandchive.ca

Merry Kuchle of Merry’s Mercantile in Bentley served as our April Burger of the Month Guest Chef in Lacombe, helping us create the “Southern Comfort”.  A smoke marinated chicken breast, Alabama white sauce, Birmingham slaw, zesty pimento cheese (queso) on a toasted potato roll skewered with pepperoncini! $2 from every burger sold is going directly to Merry’s charity of choice the Central Alberta Women’s Emergency Shelter.

SAY WHAT?!  TWO Cilantro and Chive locations, TWO Burger’s of the Month, TWICE the GIVING!!  That’s exactly what happened in February as we introduced Guest Chef’s and Burgers exclusive to each location, one for Lacombe, one for Red Deer.

Lacombe City Councillor Cora Hoekstra helped create “The Spicy Yorkshire” for our Lacombe location.  It included a grilled Alberta beef patty on toasted Yorkshire pudding buns, horseradish cream cheese spread, house jalapeno jam, mixed greens, beefsteak tomatoes, pickled red onions and sliced pickles garnished with cajun onion rings!  $2 from every Lacombe Burger of the Month sold will go directly to Cora’s charity of choice, the Lacombe & District Historical Society.

It’s no secret Lacombe is home to some of the most beautiful buildings and just has character, because of our history.  Cora was keen to support an organization that highlights that history and reminds us of the people who came before us, who thought this area was worth settling down in and investing in.  She says “We need the Society to keep drawing our attention to the value of our buildings and ancestors, to appreciate how far we have come.  I wanted to support an organization that is not always noticed”.

2021 marks the 50^th Anniversary for the Lacombe and District Historical Society who operates the Michener House Museum and Archives and the Blacksmith Shop Museum.  Provincial funding sources have been reduced and the pandemic have had an impact on the non-profit community organization with museums closed, community festivals, fundraising events, exhibit galas, and school tours all cancelled.  The Society uses donations for programming and exhibits.  They are currently working to preserve their extensive photography and negative collections, a BIG endeavor with thousands of negatives and prints in their care.

Thanks to your support of our beloved Burger of the Month Program Cora helped us hand over $1062 to the Lacombe and District Historical Society today (Friday, March 5^th).  Thanks to the amazing support we see from our guests for our Burger of the Month program month after month, we have had the opportunity to give back over $70,000 to local charities over the past 49 months!  THANK-YOU!

The March Burger of the Month in Lacombe is the “Loaded Potato Skin Burger”, created in collaboration with local Guest Chef Al Scholing of Scholing’s Produce.  It’s an Alberta beef patty, two Scholing’s baked potato “buns”, with shredded cheddar, pepper bacon, green onion, sour cream, iceberg lettuce, beefsteak tomatoes, sliced onion and pickles.  $2 from every burger sold is going directly to Al’s charity of choice the Team Jigger Foundation.

For more information contact:

Melissa Blunden

Executive Director/Curator

Lacombe and District Historical Society

403.782.3933

lacombemuseum@gmail.com

Cora Hoekstra

Feb LA BOTM Guest Chef

Lacombe City Councillor

403.877.0891

CHoekstra@lacombe.ca

Kim Kay

Community Relations

Cilantro and Chive

403.597.2127

kim@cilantroandchive.ca