Saturday was spaghetti night at the VFW as the Mexico Optimist Club took over the Auxiliary Hall for their inaugural spaghetti dinner fundraiser and auction.

Some Optimist athletes were delivering plates of spaghetti – piled high and smothered in a hearty meat sauce – to hungry patrons, while others were clearing tables, making room for the trays full of sweet treats that were going around.

“This is the first time we have ever done anything this big,” said Bri Goff, Mexico Optimist Club president.

The fundraiser sold tickets for $10 per person which included spaghetti, salad, a breadstick and dessert. During dinner, a silent auction was available from 5-6:45 p.m. with a live auction that followed at 7 p.m. Both auctions offered up a variety of items donated from community sponsors and Optimists.

“All of our kids have been helping, and the VFW let us use their facility,” said Goff.

The money raised from this event will help fund much-needed maintenance and updates to the Optimist Club’s facility as well as its scholarship fund.

“We do a scholarship for seniors every year – we do one boy and one girl – and some of this is going to go towards that scholarship,” said Goff.

Any leftovers will also help support future community events, such as their Fourth of July celebration.

The Optimist Club offers baseball, tee-ball, softball, cross country track, football, cheerleading and competition cheerleading for grades K-8.

“Our track and cross-country, as long as they are not affiliated with their school at the time, they can do it in high school as well,” said Goff.

But every sport is different and things can change year-to-year. For instance, competition cheerleading is only offered through sixth grade and last year, tee-ball was open to preschoolers.

The Optimist Club is an international organization with chapters all over the country, focusing on a wide range of community service initiatives centered on youth.

There are multiple types of Optimists, but the Mexico Optimist Club turns its attention toward youth sports and team building.

“We have a lot of kids that actually help with concession stands,” said Goff, who gestured to the three volunteers selling raffle tickets. “These kids have been here helping and have put in a lot of hours.”

The spaghetti dinner is a major step in the Optimist Club’s attempt to grow and get the kids more involved.

“We want to try to do more community service things,” said Lauren Cuno, Mexico Optimist Club secretary. “If I can get kids out in front of adults as often as possible, I am going to. Let’s get them out and get it going because they do a lot of stuff behind the scenes.”

As a mother, coach and former athlete herself, Goff understands the role of character building in youth sports firsthand.

“You can’t learn to lose or win if you don't have that activity, and coaches have a big role in that,” said Goff. “You have to have the right coach to show the kids how to win humbly and how to lose with dignity.”