Following the tradition started by Lion member Frank Rosso, the Peninsula Lions will host its 13th annual Spaghetti Dinner and Sauce Contest fund-raiser Saturday, March 3. In addition to raffling and auctioning off prizes such as a bicycle and snowboard donated by community members, four judges will reward the three participants who produce the best-tasting spaghetti sauce.
“[Rosso] originally brainstormed this idea because he remembered when he was a kid his mom would always do fund-raisers for the church,” event planner Marti Klees said. “Spaghetti was inexpensive, but you could make a good profit from it. It’s kind of grown with us throughout the years.”
Proceeds will be divided to benefit Lions community projects, Ocean Beach Elementary School, Sacred Heart Academy’s Dover and Prevost family scholarships and spinal cord research. This event has raised $5,000 to $8,000 in previous years.
“Every penny that comes in goes back out to the community,” Klees said.
Club members volunteer their time to organize the event, selling tickets and overseeing the auction and cooking the spaghetti and sauce.
“We have 26 members in our club,” Klees said. “We’re small but we’re mighty.”
Cash and in-kind donations from the community are also invaluable for the fund-raiser. According to Klees, everything needed has been provided at this point, with the exception of beer, wine, salad and soft drinks. All donors’ names are printed on the place mats used at the event to acknowledge their contribution.
In addition to a good meal, the band The Molema” will also provide great entertainment.
The contest runs from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Masonic Center, 1711 Sunset Cliffs Blvd. Tickets for the dinner are $8 and available at the door or by calling (619) 225-8200, ext. 10. Raffle tickets are $1 each, $5 for six and $10 for 12 tickets.