BUCYRUS — The Bucyrus Knights of Columbus Council is hoping a drive-thru will do this year.

The K of C Council 711, which is affiliated with Holy Trinity Catholic Church, has planned a drive-thru bratwurst sale since the city’s annual Bratwurst Festival is canceled and so is a major source of revenue — their concession stand — which has been a festival mainstay for 50 years.

Proceeds from Bratwurst Festival sales alone account for half of the K of C’s annual operating budget, according to Dale Gingery, a member of the Catholic fraternal service organization. The remaining income, he said, is generated from fish fry dinners typically held on Fridays during Lent.

“As soon as the Bratwurst Festival was cancelled, we kind of brainstormed ways to make up our losses,” said Gingery, one of about 100 knights in the Bucyrus Council. “We pretty much donate everything we bring in, and this year has been a little rough for pretty much everybody.”

The drive-thru bratwurst sale is set for Aug. 14 and 15 from 3 to 7 p.m. at the K of C Hall, 217 S. Poplar St. For $5 the public can pick up a bratwurst sandwich with sauerkraut and condiments, fresh cut French fries and a bottle of water. An extra brat is $3.

K of C Grand Knight Jamie Bierce said the organization regularly supports local youth programs, Voice of Hope and the Crawford County Right to Life’s annual bus trip to march in Washington, D.C. It also awards two $1,000 scholarships to high school seniors who attend Holy Trinity.

“Especially in the times we’re in right now, we have to do something to try to get the money in for donations and stuff like that,” Bierce said. “We’re out to help the community.”

Gingery said the non-profit group, which has nearly two million members worldwide, is also considering plans to hold a drive-thru fish fry later this year since those dinners were halted after the first two weeks in Lent due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The K of C does a lot for the community that people don’t realize we do, but we can only give away as much as we make,” Gingery said. “We’re just in a position like every other organization in our community this year. It’s hard times, but we’ll definitely get through it.”