All year long, the Bridgeport Lions Club and the GFWC Woman’s Club of Bridgeport work to benefit the community in a number of ways.

 

Each September, the clubs combine forces to host a spaghetti dinner; proceeds of which, once again, help those here in the Bridgeport community.

 

“The Lions Club is a small club and we’re a small club so we combine to help each other,” said GFWC Woman’s Club of Bridgeport Fundraising Co-Chair Barbara Wilburn. “We do the cooking and the men do the serving.”

 

The clubs evenly split the proceeds to help fund their respective causes. Among organizations benefiting are the Clarksburg Mission, Shepherd’s Corner, the Salvation Army and Hope, Inc. The Lions Club also utilizes proceeds to assist in its signature project, the eyeglasses for the needy.

 

The civic clubs have worked together on the spaghetti dinner for nearly a decade and the event typically raises around $3,000.

 

Wilburn said spaghetti and all the fixings - including about 1,000 meatballs - are made from scratch.

 

“We make the meatballs the day before and precook them and on the day of the spaghetti dinner, we make our sauce, finish cooking the meatballs and cook the spaghetti,” Wilburn said.

 

This year’s dinner will be held 4-7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17 at the Benedum Civic Center. Tickets will be available at the door. Adults eat for $8 and children age 12 and under eat for $5. Carry-outs are available. In addition to spaghetti and meatballs, the menu includes salad and dessert. Both clubs share the responsibility of providing cookies and cupcakes.

 

Wilburn said she and her fellow club members look forward to the event and to working with the Lions Club. She thanks the community for its support. 

 

Editor's Note: Pictured is Barbara Wilburn making meatballs at a past spaghetti dinner.