Annual Saufen und Spiel raises money for Johnsburg community

After a parade featuring floats of all shapes and sizes, spectators and participants alike gathered near the Johnsburg Community Club to enjoy food and music during the annual Saufen und Spiel.

The historic event has taken place for 46 years, and it is a tradition for local families.

The three-day event included a black light bean bag tournament Friday hosted by the Johnsburg Community Club, a Banjo Beer Night on Saturday hosted by the Lions Club, and a parade and Saufen und Spiel festival on Sunday.

The name “Saufen und Spiel” means “drink and play” in German, and guests did just that. Outside, people danced to rock music and ate festive fair food sold by community groups to raise money for their organizations. Kids ran the bases of Tigers Field and crawled their way through a bouncy obstacle course.

Inside the clubhouse, couples enjoyed dancing to the sounds of a real "oompa" band called the Special
Exports. Some guests even dressed in traditional German garb to show their spirit.

Saufen und Spiel is the largest fundraiser of the year for the Johnsburg Community Club, an organization that has been around since the 1920s. The group has more than 150 members.

One such member, World War II veteran Harry Smith, was part of the parade.

“I grew up coming to events like this,” he said. “I love all the different people around.”

He said the parade is one of his favorite parts.

“It’s great for the kids, and it was exciting to be on the float,” Smith said.

Other members of the community have similar stories about growing up with events such as Saufen und Spiel.

“I’ve been coming to this my whole life,” community member Steve Schmitt said. “It’s been a real tradition. I love visiting with people I haven’t seen in a long time.”

Although it’s mostly all fun and games, Saufen und Spiel is first and foremost a fundraiser.

“Everything we raise here goes back to the community,” Saufen und Spiel Chairman Butch Chambers said.

He’s a dual board member of the Johnsburg Community Club and the Johnsburg Community Men’s Club. The groups sponsor everything from scouts to hospice to food pantries.

“The club was made to give back to the community,” said Brian Rich, president of the Johnsburg Community Club and vice president of the Johnsburg Community Men’s Club.

But one event rises to the top in terms of raising money.

“The cow drop is our biggest fundraiser of the weekend,” Chambers said.

During the event, 1,000 numbered squares are painted inside a pen. Four cows are released, and the first square on which one of the cows “does its business” is the winner.

“It always sells out,” said Ron Hiller, one of the original founders of the cow drop 25 years ago. “I believe it’s growing every year.”

Rich said the best part of the event each year is “when the parade is over, and I can judge how many people are on the grounds. Today it was awesome.”

He estimated there were more than 3,500 people in attendance for the parade and the Saufen und Spiel festival.

Organizers said they were extremely grateful to the community, local businesses who sponsored the event, the Lions Club, and “everyone who came before us.”

For information about joining the Johnsburg Community Club, visit johnsburgcommunityclub.org.