The Peninsula Lions Club is cooking up its 15th annual Spaghetti Dinner and Sauce Contest to raise money and satisfy appetites of an expected 400 or so Point Loma faithful. Last year’s event raised about $6,000 — roughly half of which was donated to Guide Dogs of the Desert, an organization that trains service dogs for the blind. Proceeds from this year’s contest will again go to benefit Guide Dogs of the Desert, The Dana Association, Dover & Provost Family Scholarships, and The Sunset Cliff’s Surfers Association for spinal cord research. This year’s contest is set for Saturday, Feb. 7 from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Masonic Center, 1711 Sunset Cliffs Blvd. The temple’s large room and stage will be well suited for the lively nature of the event, as aromas from competitively crafted sauces and feel-good music fill the air. Music this year will include the Dana Jazz Group from Dana Middle School as well as the James Garner Trio, which is the main event beginning at 6 p.m., according to 30-year Lions Club member and contest co-chair Bill Klees. Klees shares chairmanship responsibilities with his wife and fellow Peninsula Lion, Marti. Contestants in the sauce competition hope to make the music merely background stimulus however. “We have about nine contestants competing for best sauce this year and we have trophies for first, second and third places,” said Bill Klees. Some of the contestants include Irene LaRocca from the Sunset Cliffs Association and Barbara Harris, Jo Pomi and Nick Poma representing the Lions Club. Their cooking skill, along with the music and other activities are intended to garner interest and attract as many people as possible to come out and make the fundraising event successful. Also generating funds will be a raffle and silent auction, which will feature items donated by local residents. Some of the things up for auction include “a designer pair of sunglasses and some free optometry exams from Newport Optometry, gift certificates from the new Cuban bakery Azucar, a surfboard from the Dana Group and much more,” Bill Klees said. Organizers said the event is really about strengthening the community ties by supporting a long-running tradition. Members of the Lions Club volunteer their time to organize the event by selling tickets, running the auction and helping with the food preparations. Many organizations that also lend their support to the event have been doing so for years. Organizations like Sunset Cliffs Surfer’s Association help in the kitchen, while James Gang Graphics creates and supplies tickets and placemats for the dinner are both names on a very long list of volunteers. “They just donate all that,” said Bill Klees. “And they have for years. With business going the way it is right now, I think it’s a very special contribution.” Tickets for the dinner are $8 and can be purchased at the door or by calling (619) 225-8200, ext. 10.