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Fundraiser makes every carb countBy Anthony Snyder Naperville Sun 01/31/06 One Naperville church kicked off the city's 175th anniversary with steaming bowls of pasta and succulent sauce that would be the envy of any Italian grandma. On Friday, First Congregational United Church of Christ, at Benton Avenue and Center Street in Naperville, held its Past'a Pasta Spaghetti Dinner to raise money for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. According to event Chairwoman Christine Farthing of Naperville, the fundraising dinner was held for about six years in the 1990s and then discontinued as the church moved on to other events and activities. But it remained a good memory in the minds of the church's 200 members. So when the time came to have a little fun for Naperville's 175th anniversary, they reached back into the past — creating a "Past'a Pasta" party. Guests began their evening of fun by visiting with Carol Fancher of Naperville, who was taking tickets at the front door. Carol, who grew up in this church, said of the evening's grub, "Everything is wonderful." In the sanctuary, my coat was taken and hung up by Matt Roskopf and Erin Schield, both 15-year-old Naperville residents. Matt, who had never been a coat checker before, admitted as he pointed to Erin that "she's teaching me the ropes." Erin is the church's chief coat checker. "I've been doing it for the past 10 years, and I've come up with a system," she said. I could tell that not a hat, glove or scarf would go missing under her watch. In the church's kitchen, some of the 50 volunteers who made the night possible were stirring sauce, dumping freshly cooked spaghetti into chafing dishes and filling orders, just like in a real restaurant. (Except that the cooks seemed to be in a much better mood.) Carrie Nelson of Naperville was ladling rich sauce on thick noodles, piled atop Corelle dinnerware. The mother of two claims to be a spaghetti expert thanks to her kids. "In our house, spaghetti is a staple," she said. Another Naperville chef, Tina Giehler, said her skills come from her personal life. "I love pasta," she said. The mother-daughter team of Joyce Trier and Todra Oken worked side by side. When asked about the origins of the name Todra, Joyce could only say that it was a unique name that stuck when it came time to name her little one. Thankfully, Todra holds no grudges about the seldom-heard moniker, as Joyce has decided to move from Oak Brook to Naperville in April. (It's good to see families coming closer together.) One last zinger from the kitchen. I asked Todra if the thick spaghetti was all they had, and she answered, "Since this is a church function, we should have served angel hair." At my table, I met Mary Wangerin of Naperville, who had earlier helped cook the 50 pounds of noodles but now was enjoying homemade bread with the rest of the dozens of diners. "I'm glad to see this event back," she said. "There's lots of people, lots of noise. It's great to see the kids waiting tables." Among those kids was Kevin Farthing, 15, along with his dad, Tom, dressed in a smart tuxedo. Even the church's guiding voice, the Rev. Greg Schneck-Skiba, was out there waiting on a huge table of his own. I'm sure the tips were good. The penalty for not tipping a minister is a one-way trip to Hades, isn't it? With organizers of the event hoping to raise at last $1,000, members of the congregation are preparing for a February mission trip to Back Bay Mission in Biloxi, Miss., to aid families affected by Hurricane Katrina. Anthony Snyder never met a plate of spaghetti he didn't like. The Naperville resident may be reached at anthonysnyder@hotmail.com. ____________________________________________________________ FYI First Congregational United Church of Christ will hold a concert April 30 featuring its 100-year pipe organ, which is believed to be one of the oldest in the county. Visit www.loveandjustice.org . SuburbanChicagoNews.com — © 2006 Digital Chicago & Sun-Times News Group |
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