Yarmouth Regional Hospital offers up servings of Olympic spirit

By Ryan Conway

If there is one thing that is contagious about the Olympic Games, it is the support we share for our Canadian athletes, and the Yarmouth Regional Hospital is cooking up a fun and simple way to support the athletes as they go for gold in Vancouver.

The hospital’s cafeteria has been featuring a variety of different dinner specials each with an Olympic theme.

Kitchen supervisor Ronnie Jacquard said the cafeteria thought this would be a good way to have some fun and to support those participating in the games. “The staff sat around the table and wondered what can we come up with that is Olympic related, just to create a little fun in the cafeteria,” he explained. “It’s a great way to change up our menu a little and have some fun in support of the Olympics.”

Jacquard said the menu changes day by day, week by week and each special has it’s own theme. “The specials are given an Olympic name or are named after Olympic events, like our Downhill Donair for example.”

Other daily specials include Olympic wings with curly fries, crazy Canuck chicken, gold silver bronze kabobs, golden pork medallions, podium of pizza and bobsled burgers.

People have been responding very well to the specials, he said. “We have been getting a lot of good feedback from in-house emails and that sort of thing. It has been very positive. People see the humour in it and they really seem to like it.”

He said with the positive responses these specials have been receiving, the cafeteria staff is thinking of expanding them for a third week. “What we’re thinking for the third week is to give the specials themes relating to different countries competing in the games.”

Jacquard said anyone who enters the cafeteria is welcome to try the specials. “The café is open to patients, although the majority are fed in-house but some of them prefer to eat in the café and anyone else who comes in is welcome to try the specials. We also have our regular menu items as well.”

He said the cafeteria definitely has the Olympic spirit. “The reaction again has been very positive and it has been a great morale booster for the staff to come down and get some great specials and support the Olympics and to keep the Olympics in mind as they are going on.”