Local vegetarian dinner club welcomes new members

If you meet with Airdrie residents for monthly potlucks this fall, don’t expect to eat meat with them.

“It’s just vegetarian,” said Sylvia Herrebrugh, volunteer for the Airdrie Vegetarian Dinner Club (AVDC).

After taking a summer break, the group will be meeting for it’s first fall potluck dinner on Sept. 16.

Each month, AVDC holds a monthly event featuring themed vegetarian food, shares recipes and food and listens to presentations from guest speakers.

“We have all sorts of speakers,” Herrebrugh said.

“We always have a topic like exercise or heart disease. It’s usually a fun evening.”

Those who are new to vegetarianism are welcome to attend.

“The first time they can just come and enjoy without bringing any food,” added Herrebrugh.

She said there are usually between 50 and 90 people that partake in the potluck, including several people that don’t know a lot about vegetarianism.

Herrebrugh along with her husband, Everett, have been vegan, discluding meat or dairy from their diets, for about two years.

They made the switch after about 45 years of consuming a mainly vegetarian diet, eliminating animal proteins completely when Everett started having health complications.

Herrebrugh said her husband’s health improved after making the switch to a vegan diet.

They joined AVDC when they moved to Airdrie from Calgary in 2004.

Herrebrugh said she thinks there has been a move toward the better accommodation of vegetarians in Airdrie since she first moved to the City.

“It's getting to be more out there,” she said.

While AVDC was started by the local Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Herrebrugh said the faith is optional for those who attend.

“We do have literature on the table, but we don't push our faith because this is just community outreach,” she said.

This month’s theme is harvest favourites and October’s theme will be Thanksgiving and will feature a vegetarian take on holiday dining. The themed meals will also include desserts.

“You'll see a lot of vegetables and salads, and you know you can make a stew or anything like that using vegan-type things for protein,” Herrebrugh said.

Vegetarian potlucks are held on the second Sunday of each month from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Over 50 Club, Unit 101-275 Jensen Dr.

For more information call Herrebrugh at 403-912-6330 or Ida Unruh at 403-948-5067.