A total of 669 dinners were served at the Free Spaghetti Supper sponsored by the St. Anthony/St. Patrick cluster. The 18th annual event took place May 19 in the cluster’s parish hall.
Volunteers started working at 6 a.m. that day by preparing the sauce. Other workers arrived during the morning and afternoon to perform such duties as cutting bread, setting up tables and wrapping silverware. Father Walter Wainwright, pastor of St. Anthony/St. Patrick, began the meal by saying grace.
The supper’s immensity was reflected in the following statistics provided by Elaine Chamberlin, organizer: six cases of industrial-size cans of sauce used; 40 pounds of ground beef; 20 pounds of Italian sausage; 120 pounds of spaghetti; 20 pounds of grated cheese; 45 loaves of Italian bread; and 50 pans of brownies and other desserts baked by parishioners.
More than 70 volunteers set up, cooked, served, greeted and cleaned up. Chamberlin noted that many helped out behind the scenes in such areas as publicity, baking, ordering and picking up groceries, signing up workers and counting donations. The donations enable St. Anthony/St. Patrick to offer the supper at no charge to all who attend.
“Everyone, especially the workers, had a really good time and are ready to go again next year,” Chamberlin remarked.
