Local servers took the high-stakes hustle of a busy lunch rush out of the restaurant and onto the pavement for a Waterloo summer tradition. The annual Ethel’s Lounge Tray Race brought dozens of hospitality workers together for a fun, messy, fast-paced relay course, all in support of local families facing food insecurity. Teams went head-to-head tasked with balancing five open water bottles on a single tray while sprinting from one end of the course to the other. “It sounds simple, but it can be kind of complicated when you drop a lot of water and make a lot of mess,” said Ethel’s Lounge owner Glenn Smith. While some competitors sped through with ease, others had bottles tumbling after their first step. Competitors said the mid-race handoff to their teammate was the hardest part. “By the time it got to me the tray was full of water so that was a little tricky,” said Jessica Draves-Post of Malt and Barley Public House. The fastest team with the least spillage won each round. “You have to channel what you do every weekend, and it’s vibes. I liked it. It was fun,” said Isabella from Hop House. What began about 25 years ago with just a handful of participating bars and restaurants has grown to an industry-favourite event. This year there were 23 teams from bars and restaurants across Waterloo Region and surrounding areas. “It’s a camaraderie thing,” Smith said. “And hanging out with other people in the industry, raising money. Have fun, make their boss buy them some drinks and have lunch and have a good time.” Each team raised money ahead of the event to benefit The Food Bank of Waterloo Region. Every year organizers choose a different charity to support. “We only knew that we were coming here about three days ago,” Draves-Post said. “But our regulars are really awesome. And they were giving us handouts.” This year’s event marked one of the highest fundraising totals in the race’s history, bringing in approximately $18,000 — enough to provide 36,000 meals to community members in need. The Boathouse in Kitchener took home first place. “The winner gets a trophy and bragging rights. The bragging right are worth more than anything,” said Smith. The runner up was Crown Bar and Social in Uptown Waterloo.
