Try the best at Lions' annual dinner

By Don Penfield

Special to The R-C

You've eaten the rest, now come and eat the best. The Antelope Valley Lions Club will serve their 44th annual deep-pit barbecue at the Walker Community Center, 5-8 p.m. Saturday. Cost is $12 for adults and $5 for children.

This is the longest-running barbecue in the area and has been perfected down throughout the years, starting all those years ago with venison donated by local hunters.

The first dinner was served in 1964 in what is now Nay Dawg's Restaurant. The second in 1965 was held in a tent in front of the Walker firehouse. By 1970, more than 400 people were served and a switch was made to serving beef. Now the menu has added pork ribs.

The beef is seasoned and wrapped at Baldo Giorgi's ranch on Friday night and placed in the pit at approximately 8 a.m. Saturday morning. The ribs are smoked, then barbecued and basted with a secret sauce made by a local Lion's wife. No, you cannot have the recipe.

In addition you will also get potato salad, beans, rolls and wonderful desserts made by the local Lion's wives, and you will find out how good they can be.

As you eat, you will have the opportunity to win some great raffle prizes, one of them being a hunting rifle with scope donated by Topaz Lodge. There are also a fantasy night in Reno and dinner and lodging or the big prize of a $1,000 Visa gift card.

All the money earned by the Lions Club is distributed throughout the world for eyecare, for scholarships to local high school students and many other local needs.

So mark the date, place and time on you calendar, and come down to have a meal you will talk about, win some prizes, and meet old and new friends.

Dinner and raffle tickets can be purchased at the door, or prior to the event from any Antelope Valley Lion.

n Don Penfield is a member of the Antelope Valley Lions Club.