Knights of Columbus to hold Mardi Gras

The Weiser Knights of Columbus is hosting its first annual “Fat Tuesday” (Mardi Gras) dinner fundraiser and silent auction on Feb. 21.

 The event will take place inside the hall at St. Agnes Catholic Church, located at 214 E. Liberty St. in Weiser. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., with dinner served between 6:30 and 7 p.m. Tickets are $25 each.

 Although billed as a Mardi Gras-themed event, the dinner’s focal point will be a Basque-style paella.

 Cooked in a four-foot diameter pan, paella is a rice-based dish consisting of shrimp, clams, chorizo and other ingredients. It’s the Basque/Spanish offshoot of the Louisiana-based Cajun jambalaya, which has its roots in France and Spain.

 “We were kicking around some ideas, what we could do, and we decided paella would really work well,” said KofC Deputy Grand Knight Jim Reed. “We are going to cook it right outside the door of the hall. It’s kind of cool to see it done; it’s unique.”

 The meal will come in five courses, including salad, bread with oils and butter, soup, paella, and Texas sheet cake to top it all off. There will also be a full bar.

 The silent auction will feature various items, including tickets to a 2023 Bears v. Lions NFL football game in Chicago, six-month membership to Beyond Barbell gym in Weiser, steaks provided by Agri Beef in Boise (worth $486), Hells Canyon jetboat tour, monthly pizza package by Ruszoni’s in Weiser, catered Basque dinner for 10, and Weiser High School all-sports pass for two. 

 There will be plenty more items to bid on at the time of the event on Feb. 1.

 “We are really getting some incredible items,” Reed said. “Many of our wonderful Weiser residents and business owners have generously stepped up to help us out with this event.”

 The fundraiser will benefit the fraternal order’s support services, which includes educational scholarships for graduating high school seniors.

 “We want this to be a real fun time for people to interact with each other,” Reed said. Tickets are going fast so the public is encouraged to order now.

 To purchase tickets, call Jim Reed at (208) 549-1990.