U.S. Congressman Brett Guthrie represents Kentucky’s 2nd Congressional District and, for much of the year, Guthrie splits his time between working in Washington, D.C. and his hometown of Bowling Green, while the remainder of his time is often spent educating, speaking and campaigning across the state. However, Guthrie rarely misses an opportunity to catch the last fish fry of the season, held annually by the Whitesville Lions Club on Good Friday.
“It’s a tradition. Usually during the Lent season we’re in session, so it’s harder to get here for these,” Guthrie said. “So one year I was home and it was Good Friday, and Suzanne [Miles] told me the only [fish fry] they were having was being held here by the Lions Club. And so I come here to make friends.”
For Guthrie, his attendance at the Whitesville event became tradition after he was invited by State Representative Suzanne Miles and Mayor Tom Watson to attend the Lions Club fish fry several years before. Even now, Guthrie and Watson enjoy sitting down with each other and catching up as they enjoy a relaxed atmosphere and, as Watson and many others describe it, some of the best fish and hushpuppies served during Lent.
“Some people I see once a year, and it’s here, and some people I see otherwise. I’m really just here to eat and see people,” Guthrie said. “You know, there’s always people who may have an issue, and they may want to bring an issue up, so this can be an opportunity for that too.”
Watson said he appreciates his years-long friendship and working relationship with Guthrie, making mention of Guthrie’s “Nicest Congressman in America” award.
“He’s as good as gold,” Watson said of Guthrie. “I can remember the very first time he came to this, and he’s been coming back ever since.”
Guthrie has played an important hand in many of Owensboro’s developments, including the I-165 interstate. Guthrie served as Kentucky State Senator for the 32nd District from 1999-2008 and was elected to the U.S. Congress in 2009. After that election, Watson said he told Guthrie, ‘You better not forget about Owensboro.’”
“And I never have,” Guthrie said.
The Whitesville Lions Club fish fry has been a years-long tradition in itself, and President Randall Hamilton said all of the money raised goes toward local charities.
“It’s gone very well this year,” Hamilton said. “We sell plates at $12 for two people, and I’d say we sell about a 225 plate average per night.”
At $12 per plate, the Whitesville Lions Club raised around $2,700 for charity Friday night, and an estimated $24,300 is raised during the Lent season’s entirety. The organization will also host an upcoming pie auction, and Hamilton said that last year, one pie sold for $1,000. All the proceeds from the pie auction will be split between The Wendell Foster Center and Puzzle Pieces.
Hamilton said he appreciates Guthrie’s appearance at the event, and said it means a lot to the Whitesville community to get the chance to talk to their U.S. Congressman in person.
“Typically when people come to communities that they aren’t from, they’ll go to the Chamber of Commerce or they’ll go to a business luncheon, so I try to do other stuff so I can meet more people,” Guthrie said. “There are several people I’ve become good friends with just because I was here.”
