The smell of Italian food will be in the air this week, as members of Christ the King Catholic Church prepare for their 13th annual Italian dinner next Saturday.

“We have several people in our parish who are Italians,” said Kathy Frye, event organizer. “We make everything from scratch.”

The event is held annually as a fundraiser for the church’s youth.

“We started doing this when we were going to take our youth to Italy,” Frye said. “It was a great fundraiser to help our kids on retreats.”

This year the youth will travel to the Steubenville Retreat in Houma, La., Frye said.

“This is an opportunity for our youth to meet with more Catholic youth,” Frye said. “It’s a great opportunity for them to step out and see young people from all over the country. It focuses on them loving one another and the Lord.”

Frye said the community has been supportive of the fundraiser every year.

“We usually sell about 500 tickets,” she said. “We really appreciate everyone coming out and supporting our youth.”

The dinner is set for Feb. 25, at 4 p.m., with a choice of homemade lasagna or spaghetti and meatballs, along with salad, Italian bread and pizzelle cookie.

Italian desserts and a cappuccino bar will also be available.

Cost is $9 for adults and $5 for children.

Children 4 years and younger eat free.

For those who do not want to dine-in, there is a carry-out option available.

Call Frye at 427-0123, or Rosa Powers at 881-0074.