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News Advertiser
february 24, 2021
www.NewsAdvertiser.com
Holden’s Famous Burger Lives Up to its Reputation
Michelle Pinon News Advertiser There’s nothing like a rink burger, and Holden’s ‘Famous’ Burger definitely lived up to its reputation during a taste test at the local arena on February 13. Members of the Holden Ag Society were bustling in the kitchen trying to keep up with the number of take-out orders. It was the first fundraiser the organization has held in 2021, and volunteers were more than happy to be of service. Carrie Hrabec, Secretary and Concession
Holden Ag Society member Gene Hrabec hard at work in the concession. (Michelle Pinon/Photo)
Manager of the Holden Ag Society, said they’ve been making the patties by hand since they began operating the Holden Complex back in 1972. What sets this burger apart from the rest? “I think the fact we make it from local beef. We get it from Tofield Packers, and we make it by hand. We have a special spoon and squishes to make the patties,” said Hrabec. “We can do 25 pounds in less than an hour. Last year did 300 pounds because we were planning for Farmers Day and the Cattle Show and the rest of hockey.” Because Covid-19 health restrictions prevented those events from being held they had a burger day, selling all of their frozen patties and anything we had out of our freezer. The only event they participated in was the annual Christmas Market where they sold burgers. Hrabec said that went well, and they hope to hold a take-out Steak Night on March 13. She was very pleased with number of pick-up orders for February 13 burger fundraiser. “They just text me their orders. We did between seven and eight dozen today, which is really fabulous. It’s great the village and surrounding area supports us so much.” One of the burger fundraiser supporters was Otto Suchy. What makes this burger the best? Suchy replied, “It’s the ingredients they put in. Its eggs. Its garlic. We use to make 150 lbs of it at one time. We mixed it in big tubs.” Suchy said was a member of the Holden Ag Society for 25 years. In fact, his late wife Rita and Ruth Suchy, (SIL) were two of the original cooks. Otto said his children played hockey here and he now has a couple of grandchildren who are following in their footsteps. Vegreville resident Jaime Lemko lived in the area from 1967-1990. “I grew up here and played hockey here.” As far as the burger, Lemko said, “You’ll never find a better burger on the planet.”
What makes this burger special? “They’re handmade. They’re homemade. It’s a special recipe that someone developed years ago. The onions are fried. Just the atmosphere. It’s just a really good rink burger. When my brother was playing in the men’s league here and in between periods, because Holden didn’t Sean Suchy with his burger takehave an ice f looding out meal. (Michelle Pinon/Photo) machine, we used to push those blades and skate around the rink, scraping the ice between periods. So, at the end of the game, we’d go up to the concession and they’d give us a burger, pop, and fries as part of the payment. So, it’s part of my heritage.” Sean Suchy said he played hockey in Holden and worked at the arena in high school. He likes to give back to the organization and said he orders take out whenever he can. “When I know there’s hockey on and I’m home I order it in. It’s one of the best burgers around that I can get for a decent price.” Suchy said part of the reason he loves the burger so much is because, “It just reminds me when I was a kid.” While members of the Holden Ag Society love to offer their services to people in the community, they do say it is unfortunate to have a small group of volunteers to help out with the fundraisers. They do hope more people will come forward to help share the workload. Hrabec has been on the board of the ag society for over 10 years. Her husband Gene and their three children Josh, Matt and Sarah all volunteer with the group. She also points out that Gail Alger has been volunteering long than she has, and Gail’s daughter Lucy Upham serves as President. “It’s Lucy’s second term as president. She’s a rock star. She’s been volunteering since she was little in several different organizations. She was in 4-H and she’s President of the Cattle Club. She’s amazing,” said Hrabec. Alger said, “I’d rather see people help out here and there when they can versus attending board meetings.” She also pointed out that you don’t have to live on a farm to volunteer or be a member of the ag society. “It would be great to have more volunteers.”
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