When Ethel's Lounge first started its annual tray race, they had about five or six bars take part.
At the 2019 installment, more than three dozen restaurants were represented by staff looking to do good and, of course, win.
The goal is simple: as a team, get a tray holding water bottles from one end of the short race course to the other as fast as you can.
Dropping bottles costs you time. The fastest team at the end of the day wins.
The teams this year have been collecting money in a bid to raise money for Habitat for Humanity Waterloo Region.
"This is probably the most exciting day of the summer for us at Habitat for Humanity because we're just absolutely thrilled to be here with all these awesome people to raise funds for building affordable housing in Waterloo Region," says CEO Karen Coviello.
She says it's the organization's first time it's partnered with the event.
Greg Brow has organized the event for years. He says the event is also an opportunity to give back.
"All the money raised stays within our community," he says. "It's up to the restaurants to ask their customers and friends to give some pledges and see what we do from there. It's all in good fun."
In its highest-raising year, the tray race raised about $20,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Last year, the event raised over $17,000 to help train guide dogs.
