Russellville Junior Grange will host an all-you-can-eat Italian dinner fundraiser on Saturday, March 2, from 4 p.m. until sold out at the Russellville Grange, 245 Old Limestone Road, Oxford.

The menu will include a choice of spaghetti, rigatoni, fettuccini or spaghetti squash with Alfredo, marinara or Bolognese sauce. The meal will also include meatballs, a salad, garlic bread, a dessert and a beverage. Attendees may eat at the Grange or purchase takeout.

The meal will be prepared by members of the Junior Grange and their families. "All the specialty sauces, like the Alfredo, are homemade," said Jessica Reyburn, Junior Grange co-leader, noting that 150 dine-in meals were served last year. "We (find) recipes and try them out ahead of time to make sure they are tasty, and we serve them that day."

"We wanted to reach out to all the different dietary groups," she added. "Diabetics and people who have given up carbs for Lent appreciate the spaghetti squash."

Reyburn describes the Grange as a community service and social group that is similar to FFA and 4-H. "The Grange used to be a secret organization for farmers. Now, it is open to anyone interested in agriculture and interested in community service," Reyburn stated. "And it's fun because it's for the whole family."

She noted that past community service projects have included serving meals at the Lighthouse Youth Center in Oxford, sponsoring a community Easter egg hunt, picking up trash on local roadways and collecting nonperishable food items for local food banks. "We also collected gift cards for the victims of the Oxford fire," Reyburn said.

All proceeds from the Italian dinner will help defray the costs of the Junior Grange's annual spring retreat as well as summer camp. "The spring retreat is for the Russellville kids. We go to a local camp for the weekend with a very structured schedule," Reyburn noted. "The state camp is held in July for kids all over Pennsylvania for a week at Camp Sylvan Hills in Howard." She added that in order to take part in the camps, Junior Grange members are asked to volunteer at the Italian dinner.

Russellville Grange currently has 53 adult members and 15 junior members ages 5 to 14. "The majority of our members are from Cochranville, the Parkesburg area and Coatesville, and we have a few families from Nottingham, Oxford and Lincoln University," Reyburn pointed out, noting that adult members pay a fee to participate. "When people join, they are also joining the state and national Grange, so any dues go to them."

The Grange accepts membership at any time. Adult meetings are held the first and third Thursdays of the month at 7:30 p.m. Junior Grange members meet on the second Friday of the month at 6:30 p.m. Prospective members are invited to attend a meeting and complete a membership application.

For the upcoming Italian dinner, separate fees have been set for children ages 5 to 14 and for adults, with discounts for tickets purchased in advance. The meal is free for children age 4 and under. To preorder meals, call 717-572-0010 or contact any Junior Grange family.

More information about the Junior Grange organization is available at http://www.nationaljuniorgrange.org.