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Published: Wednesday, Feb. 06, 2013 / Updated: Wednesday, Feb. 06, 2013 12:09 PM

Cougar band hosts community for fish fry

YORK -- 

The York Comprehensive High School Cougar marching band and its volunteers dished up fried fish, hush puppies and French fries for the 34th year Saturday and Sunday during its annual fish fry fundraiser.

“The band parents have made this successful,” said Charles Plemmons, a retired Duke Energy employee who has supervised the popular fundraiser since its start. “I’m just along for the ride.”

Plemmons said the fish fry fundraiser started at the former Harold C. Johnson Middle School about 1979, and was later moved to the high school. When the new high school was built, the fish fry remained at what is now York Middle School because the kitchen equipment is stored there.

In the York Middle kitchen, a dozen or so adult volunteers manned the friers that turned out pans of fish, fries and hush puppies amid clouds of steam. Students, who earn points for volunteering, served drinks in the cafeteria and manned a bake sale.

A line of diners snaked through the cafeteria and out the door around dinner time Saturday. Plemmons said the band expected to raise $15,000 to $20,000 over the weekend for trips and other needs.

Past trips have taken the Cougar band to Ireland, London, New York, Hawaii and Florida.