WILNO – Since the church was built in 1936, every year volunteers have put on a chicken dinner at the beginning of September.
At St. Mary Catholic Church in Wilno, this year was no exception.
Two hundred volunteers served over 3,000 guests cooking 370 chickens and 200 loaves of bread for dressing.
Organizer Drenda Lapinskie said that half of the 200 volunteers are either cousins or are related to her. The dinner is entirely staffed through volunteers.
Lapinskie said the chicken dinner is an important weekend for the whole community. Many children of parishioners who have moved away, make sure they return home this weekend to help at the church, bringing their own children with them.
Desserts includes 550 pies baked by volunteers often using traditional recipes passed on from one generation, from one family, to the next.
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