What is it: Get ready to stretch those legs and stomachs for the annual Sandusky Donut Fest supporting
Ability Works disability services. The event will take place Oct. 19 at
Cedar Point Sports Center, 2701 Cleveland Road, Sandusky.
The Donut Fest includes a 0.5k donut and beer “race,” along with three separate donut-eating contests for professionals, amateurs, and first responders. The current donut-eating contest record is 69 donuts in eight minutes, and the team at Ability Works hopes to see the record broken this year.
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Ability Works FacebookWhy is it important: Donut Fest is a crucial fundraising event for Ability Works. The non-profit supports individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to become more independent, find inclusion in the community, and find employment. Ability Works provides job coaching, adult day support services, homemaker personal care, transportation, and a free-to-the-community sensory space. It serves Erie, Huron, Lorain, Sandusky, Ottawa, and Lucas counties, with hubs in Erie and Lorain counties.
"Each year when we hold this event, we earmark the proceeds to benefit a special project and this year we are focusing on our outdoor sensory space," Ehlert says. "We recently paved a large area and added two swings and are hoping to purchase a few other items."
Last year, Ability Works served more than 300 individuals across the six counties it serves, according to a press release from Ability Works.
“We opened a new location in Lorain, finished building a new wrap-around driveway/parking, and added a third adult day support room in the Sandusky building,” notes Ability Works CEO Doreen Ehlert via the release.
How to get involved: To learn about sponsorship levels or to be a sponsor, donut vendor, beer vendor, or food truck vendor, contact Ehlert at
[email protected] or call 419-626-1048. All supporters are listed on the event banner, event website, Ability Works website, and Ability Works social media pages.
To enter the donut eating contest, email Ehlert at the above email address. The person who eats the most donuts will earn a $500 donation to the charity of their choice.
“We are so thankful for all those who support us, and do our best to show our appreciation,” Ehlert says via the release.