Heydays of the election-day sausage sizzle have long past

ALMOST gone are the days when punters could rock up to almost any voting booth and expect to be welcomed by a hoard of cheery volunteers eager to flog off a sausage in bread.

QLD_GCB_NEWS_17MARCH16

THE days when punters could rock up to almost any voting booth and expect to be welcomed by a hoard of cheery volunteers eager to flog off a barbecued sausage on a slice of bread are almost gone.

The number of schools and community groups running sausage sizzles and cake sales at today’s Gold Coast council elections is surprisingly low.

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Given the rush of voters to polling booths, many organisers admit the sausage sizzle is held as a piece of Australian culture, rather than as the lucrative money-maker it once was.

Helensvale State High School Year 12 dean Marlie Costan is one of a select number of election day sausage sizzle organisers on the Coast today and said the exercise was no longer much about making money but more about fostering community spirit.

“A lot of the students will come out and some of them forgo their sporting activities for their school community,” she said.

“Everything we get is a bonus … it’s not a huge money-spinner.

“We held another fundraiser on election day.

“We got rained out but it was great – we had hundreds of students and teachers turn out.

“It’s great for community spirit.”

Ms Costan said while at school fundraisers organisers might purchase around 400 sausages, there was always an unknown when it came to catering for the public.

Trinity Lutheran College Parents and Friends Auxiliary president Lea Fitzpatrick helped organise the junior school sausage sizzle and cake sale and said the event was more about attracting people to the school.

“They are really good fundraisers but we do it for the Trinity support,” she said.

“It adds atmosphere … it’s about showcasing our college.

“We use it as an outreach.”

BOOTHS HOSTING SAUSAGE SIZZLES

Cedar Creek State School: Sausage sizzle

Prices: Unspecified

Upper Coomera State College: Sausage sizzle and cake stall

Prices: Sausage in bread $2.50, drink $1, cakes from $2

Woongoolba State School: Raffle and cake stall

Prices: Unspecified

Arundel State School: Sausage Sizzle

Prices: Unspecified

Helensvale State High School: Sausage sizzle

Prices: Lolly bag $2, cold drinks $2, bacon and egg muffin $4, sausage with onion in bread $2.50

Oxenford State School: Sausage sizzle

Prices: Sausage in bread $2.50, drink $2

Arundel East Presbyterian Church: Sausage sizzle and pancake sale

Prices: Gold coin donation

Coombabah State High School: Sausage sizzle

Prices: Sausage in bread $2.50, drink $1.50

William Duncan State School: Sausage sizzle

Prices: Unspecified

Trinity Primary School: Sausage sizzle, cake stall and coffee van

Prices: Egg and bacon muffin $4, sausage in bread $2.50, soft drink $2, bottled water $1.50

Baptist Church, cnr Nerang and Eugaree Streets : Sausage sizzle

Prices: Sausage in bread $2, drinks gold coin donation

Keebra Park State High School: Sausage sizzle

Prices: Sausage in bread with onion and sauce $2.50, soft drinks $1.50, bottled water $1

Mudgeeraba Special School: Sausage Sizzle

Sausage in bread $2.50, drink $2, deal $4

Merrimac State School: Sausage sizzle

Sausage in bread $2, soft drink $1.50

Mudgeeraba State School : Sausage sizzle and raffle

Prices: Sausage in bread $2.50, drink $1.50, raffle ticket $1

Springbrook State School: Sausage sizzle and cake stall

Prices: Sausage in bread $2.50, baked goods from $2

Robina State High School: Sausage sizzle

Prices: Sausage in bread $2.50, drink $1

Bonogin Catholic Church: Sausage sizzle

Prices: Unspecified

West Burleigh Church of Christ: Sausage sizzle and cake stall

Prices: Sausage in bread $2.50, drink $1.50, cakes $1.50-$2

Broadbeach Waters Kindergarten and Preschool: Cake stall

Prices: Unspecified

Robina State School: Sausage sizzle

Sausage in bread $2.50, drink $1

Elanora State High School: Sausage sizzle

Prices: Unspecified

Palm Beach Share-N-Care Centre: Sausage sizzle

Prices: Unspecified

Palm Beach State School: Sausage sizzle and cake stall

Prices: Large coffee $4, sausage in bread $2.50, homemade cake $5, drinks $2

Tallebudgera State School: Sausage sizzle

Prices: Unspecified

Coolangatta Senior Citizens Hall: Sausage sizzle

Prices: Sausage in bread $2.50, cakes $5, drinks $2

Coolangatta State School: Sausage sizzle, cake stall and raffle

Prices: Sausage in bread $2, drink $2, cakes $5, raffle ticket $1

Currumbin Valley State School: Sausage sizzle and cake stall

Prices: Sausage in bread $2.50, drink from $1, cakes from $1

Nerang State High School: Sausage sizzle

Prices: Unspecified

Originally published as Heydays of the election-day sausage sizzle have long past