Alpine Kiwanis Club sells out of Brat Days inventory in first hour of sale in Loves Park

July 18, 2025|By Kevin Haas|In Trending, Positive & Uplifting, Rock River Current, News, 815 News, Local, Rockford

Brats on the grill Friday, July 12, 2024, during Alpine Kiwanis Brat Days in Loves Park. (Photo by Kevin Haas/Rock River Current)

By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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LOVES PARK — Alpine Kiwanis Club won’t be running a multi-day sale of its Brat Days inventory after all.

The nonprofit sold out of its packages of brats and hot dogs within the first hour of its sale. There were 24,000 brats and 5,000 hot dogs, for a total 29,000. It also sold out of roughly 40 containers of veggie barbecue.

“We have no words. It’s just far beyond our expectations that we would’ve been sold out by noon,” said Kathy Vigna, co-chairperson of Alpine Kiwanis Brat Days. “People were coming and buying five and six cases of brats at a time.”

The sale was initially to go from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. both today and Saturday at Blain’s Farm & Fleet, 7300 E. Riverside Blvd.. It was being held after powerful storms damaged equipment and forced the cancellation of Brat Days last weekend.

Vigna said they’re remaining on the site for now to sell Mrs. Fisher’s chips and remaining cookies, but the rest of the inventory has been sold. Buns were previously donated to nonprofits including the Rock River Valley Food Pantry.

“We’re a little overwhelmed by it, actually. I know that there are a lot of disappointed people and I feel very badly for them, but we had what we had and when it’s gone, it’s gone,” Vigna said. “I hope all of those people will be back with us next year and be able to get the real taste of a Kiwanis brat.”

The Johnsonville brats sold at the fundraiser are specially made and not sold in stores.

“We know they are the best brats and the best hot dogs around,” Vigna said.

Brat Days is the biggest annual fundraiser for Alpine Kiwanis Club. In its 54-year history it has raised about $2.5 million for local charities and scholarships for graduating high school seniors.

This inventory sale will help it provide some of those donations.

“Not perhaps at the level that they might expect from us on an annual basis, but we will be able to take care of quite a few,” Vigna said. “It’s a low year, but we’ll do the best we can.”

She said the nonprofit has also been receiving donations, which will help it support local charities.

Alpine Kiwanis still has to assess the damage to its cooking equipment to determine what might need to be replaced. For example, it has about 30 roasters that were filled with water. As of now, it’s not clear if those will work again.

“Thank you to the community for their incredible support,” Vigna said. “Cleaning up last weekend, buying tickets and coming out here and helping us by donating as well as buying food.”