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RibFest to carve $1M for hospital

The Exchange Club of Northeast St. Petersburg will help the new All Children's Hospital get off the ground.

By JON WILSON
Published March 8, 2006

ST. PETERSBURG - In a ribs to riches story, the Exchange Club of Northeast St. Petersburg has transformed its yearly food fest into a major contribution to All Children's Hospital.

The club has pledged $1-million toward the new, $270-million All Children's Hospital at Sixth Avenue S and Sixth Street.

Northeast Exchange already has raised $500,000 of the pledge, said president Chris Burke. The rest, he said, would be forthcoming "sooner rather than later."

The 100-member club earns most of its money from its annual RibFest in Vinoy Park, conducted during the second weekend in November. The club also supports other charitable causes.

Last year's RibFest generated a record crowd and record proceeds.

The pledge is one of the largest in Exchange Club history, and some club members believe it to be the largest.

Burke said he couldn't confirm that it's the largest for all clubs.

"It's certainly the largest for the Exchange Club of Northeast St. Petersburg, but Exchange Clubs have been around for years and years," he said.

The first service organization was established in 1911 in Detroit, according to a national Exchange Club Web site.

The $1-million will go into All Children's construction fund. A room or perhaps a section of the hospital will be named for the Exchange Club, Burke said.

The club has a history of supporting the hospital, giving special attention to the cardiac care and neonatal clinics and the emergency center.

During the 1990s, the Exchange Club pledged $250,000 to the hospital. The amount raised eyebrows, said club member Hardy Bryan. But the goal was reached in four years.

Then the club reached higher with a $500,000 pledge, increasing it to $1-million when All Children's announced its construction plans.

[Last modified March 8, 2006, 01:42:19]