Crack some crawfish for charityMudbug 19 benefits Meals on Wheels

It’s year 19 for Odessa’s Meals on Wheels annual fundraiser that allows Odessans to enjoy authentic Cajun food while providing funding that helps pay for more than 268,000 delivered meals a year in Odessa.
Mudbug 19, scheduled April 11 at the Ector County Coliseum’s Barn G, is a feast of more than 600 pounds of crawfish along with corn, potatoes, shrimp, fish and other Cajun deliciousness that is served all-you-can eat style.
The food is served up by volunteers along with live entertainment. The event helps see that no one goes hungry, Meals on Wheels Odessa Executive Director Margaret Burton said.

Burton and her staff and daily volunteers since 1977 have seen that Meals on Wheels provides a hot meal for the elderly, disabled and homebound in Odessa.
Meals are prepped and cooked at Odessa Regional Medical Center and delivered to the Meals on Wheels kitchen. From there they will be packed and separated by volunteers. Each weekday around 30 volunteers load up their cars with the 503 meals that will be delivered to 32 routes spanning the Permian Basin. The drivers are only part of the volunteer force needed.
These volunteers are the backbone to an organization that has a vision of “independence and dignity of elderly, disabled and homebound residents, so no senior goes hungry.” Meals on Wheels originally had 15 volunteers when they got their start in 1977 and some of the same individuals still drive routes today.
Meals on Wheels relies on funding from the Texas Department of Human Resources, United Way, and the Community Development Block Grant Funds, along with church and private donations to fund their meal service program.
Mudbug is Meals on Wheels only fundraiser. The event will feature a live and silent auction along with the smooth tunes of the Odessa College Jazz Band. Mudbug features an all-you-can-eat style buffet of some Louisiana favorites, mudbugs, peeled shrimp, fried fish, hush puppies, potatoes and a cash bar. The proceeds from this event go straight to the heart of the Meals on Wheels organization, and provide funding for meals or the weekend meals. Some funds also go to fans, heaters, electric blankets and microwaves for some of the clients.
Meals on Wheels started with only 12 clients and now they serve more than 268,000 hot and cold meals a year. Many of the clients of Meals on Wheels, Burton said, could not make ends meet without the nonprofit. For volunteer opportunities or more event information, visit Meals on Wheels Odessa, or the Facebook event page 19th annual Mudbug.