53rd Ox Roast Fair ~ July 15-17, 2016
 Fri. 6:00-11:30 p.m.• Sat. 1:00-11:30 p.m.• Sun. Noon-10:00 p.m.

This year’s Mother Nature smiled on the 53^rd Ox Roast Fair and the crowds came out in droves. Of course, this great event could not be put on with out the tireless efforts of hundreds of volunteers and sponsors. This was the first Ox Roast Fair for St. Joseph Parish’s pastor, Father Ed Stafford, who came to the parish September 1, 2016, and was amazed by the collaborative effort and support. For the event’s main raffle the 3rd prize of a 60” flat screen TV donated by Kepich Ford of Garrettsvile went to Brand Sawyer of Aurora, the 2nd prize of a $3,000 was won by Willie & Joe (hometown unknown), and the top prize of a Harley Street Glide FLHXs Motorcycle (provided by Carlton Harley-Davidson of Mantua) was awarded to Erin Oulton of Marysville. Lucky fair-goers Mark Bruyere and Tom Caldwell won one of the $100 hourly drawings (others drawn were not present). The 50/50 raffle was held each day with the following prizes awarded:  Friday ($423) – Katie Larch, Saturday ($720) – Melinda Bates, Sunday ($536.50) – Thomas Moore. The Knights of Columbus Women's Auxiliary held a raffle for a variety of themed baskets. Lucky winners were:  Ox Roast Fair Basket > Ellen Baird; Pamper Me Basket > Kim Baird; Everything Disney Basket > Mary Jan Cuprak; Grill Your Heart Out Basket > Ellen Baird; Love My Pet Basket > Nancy & Mike Lawrence; Any Sport Basket > Adam Bly; Family Fun Day Basket > John Muno; Let's Win Lottery Basket > Dan Baumbick; Gifts For You > Debbie Burkett. Proceeds go towards the group’s community-minded efforts. St. Joseph Church had a booth offering parish information and jewelry.
 The 5th Annual “Run of the Ox” 5K Run/Walk was held on Saturday morning had a nice showing of participants. Another great crowd-pleaser was the Kiddie Tractor Pulls on Saturday with following top winners. In the 4 & 5 age category, Alexander Valdez, age 5 of Mantua, placed third, Sammy Saudick, age 5 of Canton, took second, and Aiden Weissen, age 5 of Mantua, won the age level with his first place pull. For the 6 & 7 year olds, Isabel Brugmann, age 7 of Mantua, accomplished third place, Kamdon Silvis, age 7 of Mantua, won second place, and Aiden Stegh, age 7 of Mantua, beat them out for first place. The 8 & 9 year old level saw Andon Mierzejews, age 8 of Mantua, place third, Roxxy Bretz, age 9 of Mantua, achieve second place, and Hank Winland, age 9 of Mantua, attained first place. Sunday’s Frog Jumping Contest was a hopping good time with cash prizes, stuffed frog toys & Ox Roast t-shirts awarded. Congratulations to third prize winner Ally Clayman, age 12 of Mantua, and to second prize winner Rita Paul, age 15 months of Hiram. First prize was won by Megan Crissman, age 12 of Stow. 
 Thank you to all of our karaoke contest participants and our judges Deacon Gerry Scopilliti, Jason Stachowski (winner of Garrettsville Idol 2016), and Jerry from Carlton's Harley-Davidson. Finalists included  Dan Halansky, Eric, Perrault, Liz Mays, Dale Laur, Pam Wenger, Lexie Smith, Krystin Gonzalez, Jake Stumm, Maureen O'Connor, Raymond Markward, Johnny, James Opole. Congratulations to the following singers who came out on top:  1st ($200) - Maureen O'Connor, North Royalton, OH; 2nd ($100) - Krsytin Gonzalez, Stow, OH; 3rd ($50) - Dan Halansky, Mercer, PA.

Mother Nature gave the 54th Ox Roast Fair a break with only a few showers and everyone had a wonderful time. Our summer seminarian, Jerry Land, jumped right into the events of the Fair and was impressed with the physical and mental effort that went into the preparation and how the faith community welcomed all that came sharing whatever gifts they have. One example was the giving spirit that occurred during Sunday’s power outage when several electricians, set-up crew, and parish families came to the rescue bringing generators, their expertise, and connections to get the Fair up & running in short order.
 Congratulations our Main Raffle winners Sam Puterek of Chagrin Falls, 1st prize winner of the Ford F150 4WD Pick-Up supplied by Kepich Ford of Garrettsville! Second prize of $1,500 went to Lisa Van Newal of Hudson. Third prize of the flat screen TV donated by Coldwell Banker Real Estate & Right Path Home Inspections went to Ellen Baird of Ravenna. $100 Hourly Drawings were won by Kathy Gray & Logan Zuponcik (others drawn were not present). 50/50 raffle prizes were awarded to Paul Thompson ($248.00), Jack Haney ($328.00), Sonya Smith ($438.50), Anthony Williams ($278.00), Brian Perkins ($474.00),and Larry Kotkowski ($217.00). The Knights of Columbus Women's Auxiliary held a raffle for a variety of themed baskets. Lucky winners were:  Quilted Wall Hanging - Kayla Burkett, Corn Hole Set - Sr. Rose Anne Krantz, Ox Roast Basket - Mickey Rorabeck, Kitty Cat Basket - Sr. Rose Anne Krantz, Puppy Care Basket - Leroy Kasunick, Family Game Night Basket - Pat Lunghoffer, Grilling Basket - Pat Myers, Summer Fun Basket - Jessica Oravetz, Clean Car Basket - Linda Litz. Proceeds go towards the group’s community-minded efforts. The 6th Annual “Run of the Ox” 5K Run/Walk was held on Saturday morning had a nice showing of participants. Despite the rainy morning, the event had 85 people participating this year's Run of the Ox 5K Run/Walk and a few more taking part in the 1M Fun Run/Walk. Tractor, Truck & Semi Pulls were part of the event once again. Unfortunately, the Garden Tractor Pulls had to be cancelled Saturday morning due to the rain & condition of the track. Thank you to our chairperson, Tim Rooth (& his wife, Sue) and crew along with Gerry DeYoung & the Geauga County Antique Tractor Pullers Association for running this event. Another great crowd-pleaser was the Kiddie Tractor Pulls on Saturday run by the Mantua Knights of Columbus. Trophies were awarded to the following top winners in several age categories. A Frog Jumping Contest and Ox Idol Karaoke Contest rounded out the fun.
 Did you know that one of St. Joseph’s own parishioners, Ken Zander, has designed many of the Ox Roast T-Shirts? It began in 2000 with the colorful Ox Battling a Tractor design. We are most grateful to him for offering his talents nearly every year since 2003 including an “Ox worker’s” design (look for many of them on our website). We also use Ken’s design on the souvenir mugs and Run of the Ox shirts. He’s the same creative guy who came up with “The Legend of St. Joseph’s Ox Roast Fair” coloring book & coloring contest. Held for ages 2-12, this contest saw 20 participants competing for Ox Roast Fair T-Shirts, free coloring books, and the Grand Prize of two all day ride bracelets. Coming out on top for their artistic ability, creativity, and craftsmanship (neatness), we congratulate Airis Furner (4), Josh Kalman (6), Owen Bass (9), and Grand Prize winner Mikey Kalman (11). A huge thank you to St. Joseph parishioner Ken Zander for creating the coloring book and contest page. Thank you to everyone who came out and supported, volunteered, promoted, donated, and worked this year’s Ox Roast.

Mother Nature gave the 55^th Ox Roast Fair a break with only a couple of showers the last day and everyone had a wonderful time. Of course, this great event could not be put on with out the tireless efforts of hundreds of volunteers. St. Joe’s summer seminarian, Jerry Land, jumped right into the events of the Fair again this year and was once again impressed with the physical and mental effort that went into the preparation and how the faith community welcomed all that came sharing whatever gifts they have.
 Congratulations to Carrie Gyurgtik of Streetsboro who was our Main Raffle 1st prize winner of the $20,000.00! Second prize of $1,500 went to Tim Nichols of Mantua. Third prize of the 55” flat screen TV donated by Coldwell Banker Real Estate & Right Path Home Inspections went to Licth Butcher. $100 Hourly Drawings were won by Brian Roseberry, Jerry Land, and Ray Parker (others drawn were not present). The 50/50 raffle was held each day with the following prizes awarded:  Friday:  Nick Pich, Mantua ($419.00), Saturday:  Jessica Parant, Streetsboro ($549.50), Sunday:  Mary Ann Feddor, Shalersville ($588.00).The T-Shirt Booth had a raffle for a life-sized alien sculpture created by Ken Zander to highlight the second edition of the Ox Roast Fair coloring book. The winning name drawn was Laura Spatney. Another drawing for a toy tractor was awarded to Jay D’Aurelio. St. Joseph Church had a booth offering parish information and jewelry. Now in it’s seventh year, the “Run of the Ox” 5K Run/Walk was held on Saturday morning had a nice showing of 74 participants with top three finishers Johnny Peters, 15 (18.42), Bryce Pruszynski, 15 (18.43), and Nicholas Zizwarek, 16 (18.54). Pulls were held all three days, frog jumping contest, kiddie tractor pulls, Ox Idol, tradebooths, fireworks, and lots of entertainment were a part of this great event once again. Thank you to everyone who support, donated and sponsored the 55th.

Despite the heat wave with 98+ temperatures, high humidity and a couple of downpours, folks still came out to our wonderful Fair. A huge thank you goes out to all of our dedicated volunteers and supportive sponsors from local communities. Did you know that our beef prep happened in record time this year? Our 235 roasts amounting to 3,027 pounds were unloaded from the refrigerated truck, checked for weight, unwrapped, trimmed, cut, seasoned, wrapped in muslin, netted and then reloaded back in the truck in 1 hour, 17 minutes, averaging 3 minute per roast!!! The roasting took place in one day rather than two & the slicing was completed in one day instead of the typical day and a half! This is all thanks to our great crews of volunteers headed up by Jan Seljan (Meat Wrapping), Geo Valdez, (Meat Slicing), and Ron Kotkowski (Ox Pits)!
 Ken Zander designed our Ox T-Shirt & Run of the Ox T-Shirt as well as creating another coloring book, "Strange Tales of the Ox Roast Fair" which highlighted stories of Tom Smith one of the original organizers of the Ox Roast. The Sisterhood of St. Joseph made orange & pink ribbons for volunteers to wear and show their support for Loretta Brugmann, self-proclaimed "mouth of the Fair", who is battling leukemia.
 Congratulations to our Main Raffle winners 3rd prize Paddle & Dine Experience for 4 provided by Breakaway Excursions—Brian Perkins, 2nd prize $1,500.00—Steve Check, 1st prize $11,682.00 (raffle converted to 50/50 cash prize since ticket sales did not meet quota for 2019 Ford EcoSport)—Lakeside Sand & Gravel. Larry Kotkowski turns in hundreds of tickets, matching all the ticket sales from their employees & says that the prize money will be shared among all his employees. Thank you to Kepich Ford & Breakaway Excursions for our prizes. $100.00 hourly prize winners were Camille Bichsel (Shalersville), Trey Graves (Mantua)-twice, Ray Stone (Shalersville), Diane Ruehr (Shalersville). Our 50-50 Raffle winners were Fri.—Joe Postlethwaite (Rootstown) $559.50; Sat.—Derek Lowell (Hiram) $515.50; Sun.—Dale VanVoorhis (Hiram) $556.50. The T-Shirt Booth Raffle with winners of a Strawberry Shortcake Doll—Ray Padeli & Toy Tractor—Terry Hart. Congrats to our Booth Decorating Contest winner, the Hamburg/Hotdog Booth with new chairs Bob & Jessica Globokar and past chairs Lonn & Deb Safko (and family) who embraced the hot weather with their tropical Tiki Bar theme.They received three main raffle tickets as a prize.
 We congratulate the winners of this year's coloring contest . . . Matthew Kalman of Chardon (age 4), Presley Sindelar of Mantua (age 6), Izabel Szoka of Hiram (age 9), and grand prize winner Kendall Clark of Streetsboro (age 10). Each of them received a free coloring book & our grand prize winner won two all day ride bracelets. Ox Idol Karaoke Contest winners were  third place finisher Dan Halansky (PA) winning $25.00, second place went to Sarah Lamb (Garrettsville) awarded $50.00, and Grand Prize was given to McKenna Alai (Garrettsville) who won $100.00.  
 Congratulations to the top finishers of our Kiddie Tractor Pull in the age 8 & 9 category: 1st - Kamden Silvis (Streetsboro), 2nd - T.J. Logan (Amherst), 3rd - Alexander Valdez (Avon Lake). In the age 6 & 7 category: 1st - Sam Sardich (Canfield), 2nd - Franke Telbis (Pittsburgh, PA), 3rd - William Rose (Canton). In the age 4 & 5 category: 1st - Michael Sardich (Canfield), 2nd - Nate Wright (Shalersville), 3rd - Tristan Guzowski (Broadview Heights). Thank you to the Mantua K of C members & their helpers for hosting this fun event. Our leftover food products that could not be returned to suppliers is donated each year to Center of Hope. We also froze some beef and other items to be used for upcoming Free Community Meals. It’s wonderful to be able to reach out to those in need. Of course we appreciate all of our volunteers, bakers, sponsors, tradebooths, and donators! 

57th Ox Roast Fair  ~ July 17, 18 & 19, 2020
 Fri. 6:00-11:30 p.m.• Sat. 1:00-11:30 p.m.• Sun. Noon-10:00 p.m.

For the first time ever, the Ox Roast Fair was cancelled in 2020 due to the Coronavirus Pandemic that swept the world! Stay at home orders, closing of schools and non-essential businesses, wearing of masks in public, extreme attention to sanitization, and no large gatherings became part of life. The Main Raffle was postponed until 2021 using the same tickets with the first prize of a 2020 Honda Pioneer 1000-5 Deluxe UTV (provided by Just For Fun Honda), second prize $1,500.00 cash and third prize $500.00 cash. Commemorative Ox Roast Fair T-Shirts designed by parishioner Ken Zander also marked this unprecedented year.

 St. Joseph's Ox Roast Fair was one of three finalists in the Entertainment & Leisure category for the Record-Courier's Official Community Choice Awards - 2020 Best of the Best. Winners and finalists were given a window decal and a plaque or certificate to display. Although we didn't come out on top, we're proud to receive this distinction as one of the finest in the area. And even in a year when the Ox Roast Fair wasn't able to be held! Just another strange happening in a very weird year. Click here for contest results.

 

The week’s rain including downpours on Friday & Saturday didn’t dampen the spirit of our wonderful volunteers. Sunday’s sunshine brought out huge crowds and everyone had a good time despite the muddy conditions. Rest assured the grounds will be repaired thanks to our Maintenance & Grounds Ministry, volunteers, and the help of our friends and parishioners at Lakeside Sand & Gravel. We can’t begin to give enough thanks to the hundreds of volunteers who make our great parish family event happen each year. Not only is it a parish fundraiser but yet another opportunity to extend our hospitality and it’s a blessing to all. We so appreciate every ones’ efforts, support, and participation. 
We thank all those who bought and sold tickets & congratulate our winners! Main Raffle: 3rd—$500 Cash - Lakeside Sand & Gravel; 2nd—$1,500 Cash - Tonya Lamb; 1st— $11,932.50 - Paul Malaska. Due to COVID the first prize vehicle would not be available for 1-1/2 to 2 years so we made it a 50/50. $100 Hourly Prizes: Fri.—Joe Kotkowski (7 p.m.), Mike Miller (10 p.m.); Sat.—Joe Kotkowski (9 p.m.); Sun.—Ray Stone (6 p.m.), Debby Kline (7 p.m.), Carrie Lingro (8 p.m.), Lakeside Sand & Gravel (9 p.m.). 50-50 Raffle: Fri.— John Feddor ($173); Sat.—Kathy Gray ($360); Sun.—Mona Scopilliti ($530). 

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58th Ox Roast Fair ~ July 16, 17 & 18, 2022
 Fri. 6:00-11:30 p.m.• Sat. 1:00-11:30 p.m.• Sun. Noon-10:00 p.m.

The crowds on did not disappoint showing up to enjoy the Fair on Friday & Saturday. Although Sunday was a rainy one, folks still came out to enjoy the food and entertainment. A huge thank you to all of our wonderful volunteers who work hard but have fun, too.  Congratulations to our raffle winners:  $8,000 Vacation Pkg.—Tonya Lamb; $1,500 Cash—Bob Klemon; Gift Card Basket—Don Roberts. $100 hourly prizes: Fri.—Tony Scofield, Miles Winland; Sat.—Steve Chek, Sun. - Cathy Sherbondy. 50-50: Rich Bretz ($168.00), Deana Lee ($589.50).Members of several Girl Scout Troops of the Crestwood School District and other volunteers collected a small car load of non-perishables to help stock the shelves of the 4C's, Mantua's food cupboard. Thanks to these young ladies, a very valuable community service project continues. Did you know that our leftover food products that could not be returned to suppliers is donated to the Center of Hope each year? This year these items included beef, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, Tzatziki sauce, pitas, lemons, onions, several types of buns, butter, peppers, tortilla chips, nacho cheese, Doritos, bananas, and apples. It’s wonderful to be able to reach out to those in need. Thank you to Jan Seljan and the rest of the St. Joe volunteers who helped load the truck with Roni & Michael from the Center of Hope.

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59th Ox Roast Fair ~ July 21, 22 & 23, 2023
 Fri. 6:00-11:30 p.m.• Sat. 1:00-11:30 p.m.• Sun. Noon-10:00 p.m.

After Thursday night storms, the weekend’s weather was beautiful with just a damper on things with some Sunday evening showers. The crowds and volunteers did not disappoint and our 59th Ox Roast Fair was tremendous! A huge thank you to all who planned, worked, supported, and attended!  Congratulations to our raffle winners:  $8,000 Vacation Pkg.—Yevette Lommler; $1,500 Cash—Don Sapp; Gift Card Basket—Pattie Wisniewski.  




 

 

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60th Ox Roast Fair ~ July 19, 20 & 22, 2024
 Fri. 6:00-11:30 p.m.• Sat. 1:00-11:30 p.m.• Sun. Noon-10:00 p.m.

It was a picture-perfect 60th Ox Roast Fair. Of course, this great event could not have been put on without the tireless efforts of hundreds of volunteers. Many go above and beyond, offering their time, talent, and treasure. Folks from the surrounding area and even out-of-state visitors enjoyed the hospitality of the Parish Community of St. Joseph. This was Portage North’s Fr. Francis Katrinak’s second Ox Roast Fair experience and he even pitched in to serve Ox Sandwiches. He along with Fr. Brian Smith, Parochial Vicar, and Fr. Chris Luoni, Sacramental Minister of Portage County, were present at the Fair to enjoy and support the volunteers. Thank you to everyone who supported, volunteered, promoted, donated, and worked on this year’s Ox Roast. The Fair’s raffle drawings were held on Sunday evening near the event's closing. Congratulations our Main Raffle winners: Grand $8,000 Trip > Justin Barber; 2nd $1,500 Cash > Tonya Lamb; 3rd Gift Card Basket ($500 value) > Ron Kotkowski. A special shout out to Larry Kotkowski of Lakeside Sand & Gravel who sold a tremendous amount of raffle tickets by generously matching ticket purchases of his employees each year. Thank you to everyone who supported this part of the 60th Ox Roast Fair. For a look at all the winners, sponsors and supporters of the Ox Roast, please visit our Thank You page.

For a more in-depth look at Ox Roast Fair history 
 (including newspaper articles, photos, church bulletins & more),
 be sure to ask about the scrapbooks located in the Parish Center.

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