This week is a special one for Gary Shupp and the longtime members of St. John's Lutheran Church in Effort.

The church is celebrating its 50th year as a food vendor at the West End Fair, and Shupp has been there for each one.In fact, his parents played a pivotal role in securing the food stand."Back in 1967, the Kunkletown ballclub was giving up their stand and the church decided it would be a good idea to jump in and take over," Shupp said. "My parents owned a restaurant at the time and volunteered to get it going."Every penny made at the fair, Shupp said, was important to the small congregation.Over the years, more and more food vendors have popped up during fair week, but crowds at St. John's have remained steady."At the outset, we were probably one of five places you could get food back then," Shupp said. "Now it's about 20, but that's good to spread the wealth a little bit."In the beginning and still today, the fair stand has played a pivotal part in keeping the church going strong."A big event like this, it's our lifeline," Shupp said. "Without the stand, I'm not sure the church would be able to function. Three or four years ago, things were questionable but we've been able to maintain it in large part to this fair."