Five years ago, Nickolas Sieber held an event to raise money for a cross-country trip. The experience awakened a passion for event planning in Sieber, and he's since used that interest to help others.

"Organizing the volunteers, hanging decorations and preparing the food was more fun than I could have ever anticipated," he said. "After my inaugural event, I was hooked. Since then, we transformed the dinners into a means of helping others. We have raised money for the Wounded Warrior Project; now-18-year-old Charlotte Funk, who was severely injured in a car accident; a local Lebanon County family in need; and this year, Trevor Higgins."

Trevor, a 17-year-old senior at Hurricane High School in Utah, was involved in a dirt biking accident on Oct. 27, 2024. His injuries left him in the ICU with a long road of recovery ahead, Sieber said.

All proceeds from a candlelit formal dinner Sieber is organizing will be shared with the Higgins family. The dinner will be held at Trinity Lutheran Church of Colebrook, 58 Church Road, Manheim, on Saturday, March 29, from 5 to 8:30 p.m.

The formal dinner will feature a homemade three-course meal in a decorated dining room, with live music by Miss Maybell and Charlie Judkins.

"A social hour will provide time to mingle with other attendees, enjoy live jazz music and even have a chance to win several door prizes," Sieber said. The menu for the evening will include corn chowder and dinner rolls; roast beef served with a red wine au jus or horseradish cream sauce, herb-roasted red-skin potatoes, and green bean casserole; and cheesecake with strawberry topping or pecan pie with vanilla ice cream.

Past charity dinners have featured themes such as the 1940s and the Wild West. "This year is a formal candlelit dinner, with participants encouraged to wear formal evening attire," Sieber stated, noting that formal attire is not required.

"This year's formal dinner is sure to be a blast while raising money for Trevor," Sieber said. "Our incredibly talented musicians will perform two sets featuring early ragtime, blues, country and jazz music. It is a fun opportunity to dress to the nines while basking in the glow of a high-society evening. The food is always spectacular, and the fellowship is even better. It's a special event that anyone won't want to miss."

He emphasized that he considers it an honor to help people in need, and he said it requires a team of volunteers who are as committed as he is to the cause to pull off a successful event.

"It takes an army to make these dinners happen, and I have been very fortunate to have support from friends and family," he said. "I have 12 volunteers arranged for this year's dinner, and all of them have devoted countless hours of their time to support this endeavor. It is a very rewarding event, and I look forward to hosting it every year."

The deadline to purchase tickets for the dinner is Wednesday, March 19. For more information or to purchase tickets, call or text Sieber at 717-598-8421. More information may also be found by searching for "5th Annual Charity Dinner" on Facebook. For more information on Trevor's story, visit his GoFundMe page under #Rev4Trev.