PONDERAY — Quick, name your favorite holiday meal. Turkey (or tofurky), pumpkin, apple and pecan pies, stuffing, mashed potatoes — the works — are all likely to make the list. But for many, it’s spaghetti. Yep, you read that right, spaghetti. More accurately, it’s the Hoot’s Own’s annual spaghetti dinner — one of the tastiest Christmas benefits you’re likely to see anywhere where the holiday is celebrated. For more than 10 years, the Hoot Owls has hosted a spaghetti feed to raise money to make Christmas merry for the community’s children. This year’s spaghetti feed will be held Friday, Dec. 11, from 4-7 p.m. at the Hoot Owl in Ponderay. In addition, there will be turkey raffles every half hour — thanks to the generosity of Arnie and Laura Rains.

The Hoot Owl donates all the food, 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 Friday enjoy a delicious spaghetti dinner.

Wendy Frank, owner of the Hoot Owl, has been putting on the dinner for the Sandpoint Lions to benefit their Toys for Tots for 19 years as of this year. The dinner costs $7 for everyone — and all proceeds are turned over to the Lions for Toys for Tots.

While there were no donations counted today, the total amount of donations received to date to $1,875 of the $50,000 goal set by the Lions for the annual Christmas campaign.

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 know someone, or need help yourself, the Lions are taking applications for the 2020 Toys for Tots program.

Applications are being accepted — more than 40 have been received already. The forms are available at the Lions Den, 609 S. Ella St., Sandpoint, on Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays, between 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; online at the Sandpoint Lions Facebook page, facebook.com/SandpointLionsClub; or at Bonner Community Food Bank, 1707 Culvers Drive, Sandpoint. The deadline to submit an application is Monday, Dec. 14.

Masks are required to enter the Lions Den building or those dropping them off may also place them into the red box next to the door.

Toys may be dropped off at the Bonner County Daily Bee, 310 Church St., Sandpoint; Farmhouse Restaurant, 477227 U.S. 95, Ponderay; Columbia Bank — Sandpoint branch, 414 Church St.; and Ponderay branch, 300 Kootenai Cutoff Road; Walmart, 476999 U.S. 95, Ponderay; and North 40, 477181 U.S. 95, Ponderay.

There are a host of coin jars around the community where spare change can be donated. In addition, monetary donations may be dropped off at both branches of Columbia Bank and the Bonner County Daily Bee during normal business hours. Donations may be mailed to the Sandpoint Lions Club, Box 414, Sandpoint, ID 83864.

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.

Information: Sandpoint Lions Club, 208-263-4118

Caroline Lobsinger can be reached by email at clobsinger@bonnercountydailybee. com and follow her on Twitter @CarolDailyBee.