by Joel Addington
Contributing Writer
As airplanes rolled over the tarmac just outside Hangar 2 at the Jacksonville International Airport, something else was humming away inside — the Jacksonville Aviation Authority’s Annual Fish Fry.
The event, which has been held during the holiday season for more than 30 years, served as a way for the Aviation Authority to thank its employees, tenants and others who spend their days at the airport.
Planning for the event began in the fall, but the food was prepared fresh for the crowd of roughly 1,200 hungry lunch seekers by chefs from Seafood Express on Main Street.
“This is a great opportunity to see people we do business with directly and indirectly and wish them a happy holiday,” said JAA Executive Director and CEO John Clark. “I couldn’t get on the phone and make this many calls, so it’s a chance to greet them, shake hands and pass out some hugs.”
Upbeat holiday tunes flowed from the DJ’s speakers, filling the large hangar leased to SheltAir Aviation with a mood of splendor. The music also kept people moving even as they sat down to enjoy the hot lunch of fried catfish and hush puppies.
Throughout the hour-and-a-half celebration, prizes were handed out to lucky raffle ticket holders who brought in items for a toy drive being spearheaded by the JAA Police Department. For the last 18 years, the toys have been given to the children of migrant workers for Christmas. This year the number of children has grown to about 300, said police department administrator Cindy Farlow.
“Every year it increases,” she said. “Last year we had about 275 kids.”