Swissvale Bar Raising Money With Hot Sausage Sandwiches For Free Care Fund

SWISSVALE, Pa. (KDKA) - Boomerang Bar and Restaurant is getting ready for the 31st Day of Sausage. The fundraiser kicks off Saturday at 1 p.m. and raises money for Children's Hospital's Free Care Fund.

"The people are generous, they really are. They support us and it's a nice event. It's probably our biggest event of the year," said owner Ken Stretavski.

On Saturday, Mancini Bread packages will open up and the hot sausage will come out of the fridge and straight into warmers, plugged in and ready to go.

"This is going to be our 31st year. Last year they shut us down for COVID and it killed us. I mean a lot of people were disappointed because of the restrictions and just saying this, we're all vaccinated here and hopefully it doesn't diminish the turnout," said Stretavski.

He expects more than 300 people will stop by, grab a sandwich and help the kids.

"We're $18,000 to $20,000 a year out of this tiny place and it's all from donations," said Stretavski.

Thirty-one years in the making, this tradition started back in the 70s before Stretavski even owned the place.

"It started, I believe, a guy bagged a deer and it was deer chili and they generated a couple hundred bucks and its grown," said

It's grown into a Day of Sausage thanks to Pittsburghers inside the neighborhood bar with hearts of gold.

"It's just a staple event. I mean, you mention Sausage Day and people relate it to Swissvale and the community. I mean, there's a lot of good people here," said Stretavski.

Stretavski tells KDKA he's raised more than a half-million dollars since the start, and every dime goes to help the children at UPMC Children's Hospital for the Free Care Fund.