On Feb. 10, the Dos Palos Y Service Club held its annual lobster ravioli and marinated crab dinner at the DES Hall in Dos Palos.
The marinade used on the crab is a secret recipe handed down by Joey Cozzi’s grandfather.
Club President, Randy Miles said that just over 400 tickets were sold and that the club has hosted the fundraiser for about 20 years.
In addition to food and drink, the dinner guests took part in a live auction by Merced County District 5 Supervisor, Scott Silveira who garnered winning bids on gifts such as large heart-shaped boxes of chocolates and roses, to battery operated children’s tractors and bottles of wine.
The featured live auction item of the evening was a 16×20 framed autographed action photo of Firebaugh native, Josh Allen who currently plays quarterback for the Buffalo Bills. John Bennett was the high bidder of $4,000. Proceeds from the Allen photo will be donated to Valley Children’s Hospital in Madera. Bennett said he served on the hospital board for 13 years.
According to Miles, the Dos Palos Y Service Club, over many years of its existence, has donated over $400,000 to Valley Children’s Hospital. Proceeds have helped fund items such as a helicopter port and a pediatric intensive care unit as well as other projects at the hospital.
In fact, the Dos Palos Y Service Club, which began in 1950, has cooked dinners, held auctions with donations to Valley Children’s hospital. Such auctions have helped over 1,000 Dos Palos area children unable to pay for their medical services.
The service club has also helped local youth organizations such as the 4H, FFA, Dos Palos High School senior awards and scholarships, Los Banos Spring Fair queens and exhibitors. The have helped firefighters and families dealing with the financial impacts of catastrophic medical expenses across the communities of Dos Palos, Oro Loma, Santa Rita, Los Banos and Merced County.
