SANDPOINT — Who doesn’t love spaghetti?

It’s delicious, versatile and one of the world’s favorite forms of pasta. Toppings and sauces come in every flavor and variety — and around these parts, it’s a great Christ-mas dish.

Christ-mas, you ask. Christ-mas, I say. Spaghetti may not seem like a traditional holiday meal, but an annual fundraiser for the Sandpoint Lions’ Toys for Tots is one of the tastiest benefits around.

For more than 10 years, Jeff and Wendy Sater and their staff have hosted a spaghetti feed to raise money to make Christmas merry for the community’s children. This year’s spaghetti feed will be held Sunday, Dec. 11 from 4-7 p.m. at the Hoot Owl in Ponderay.

The Saters donate the spaghetti, along with the help of their suppliers, the use of the restaurant, and the restaurant’s wait staff work for free. That means every penny raised at the fundraiser goes to the Lions’ Christmas program.

If you’re looking for a good meal — and a chance to stay out of the kitchen — while helping a great cause, head over to the Hoot Owl on Sunday to enjoy a delicious spaghetti dinner.

Today, the Lions have received $590 in donations, bringing the total for this year to $13,147.17. Today’s generous donations come from: Naticia M. Litven-Klatt (in memory of Bob Klatt), $200; Anonymous, $20; Exotic Landscapes, $100; Gordon and Ginger Withall (in memory of Lady), $20; The Cellular Connection (and also a volunteer to help with whatever club needs), $125; and Joyce and Larry Smith (in loving memory of Kip Smith), $125.

The goal for this year’s campaign is $50,000 — the same as it has been in past years. The Lions make the most of the money by shopping bargains, and with the assistance of generous local businesses.

The Toys for Tots program provides free new toys for children living in the Lake Pend Oreille School District, from Sandpoint to Clark Fork and all points in-between. A Christmas dinner for the family is also provided.

If you have any questions about Toys for Tots sign-up, call Judy Dabrowski, 208-290-5314.

Donations for Toys for Tots can be dropped off at the front desk at the Bonner County Daily Bee, 310 Church St., from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Donations also can be mailed to the Sandpoint Lions Club, P.O. Box 414, Sandpoint, ID, 83864

You can also drop off donations at Columbia Bank’s main branch in Sandpoint, 414 Church St., or at the Ponderay branch, 300 Kootenai Cutoff Road.

Donations made by check are preferred. Be sure to include a note with your check indicating that it is a Toys for Tots donation. If you wish to make an anonymous donation, please include a note.

If the donation is being made in someone’s name, be sure to also include a note.

New, unwrapped toys can be dropped off at:

Sagle — Stacey’s Country Kitchen and Travel America Plaza-Conoco.

Sandpoint — Farmin-Stidwell Elementary, Eagles, Sandpoint Fire Department, Columbia Bank, and Wells Fargo.

Kootenai and Ponderay — Columbia Bank, Bradley Insurance, North 40 Outfitters, and Samuels Store and Blue Heron Cafe.

Hope — Holiday Shores.