L'Arche Celebrates 40 Years with "L'asagna" Fundraiser - WICU12/WSEE Erie, PA News, Sports, Weather and Events

L'Arche Celebrates 40 Years with "L'asagna" Fundraiser

L'Arche gave people an excuse to cheat on their new years diets, to help a good cause.

Local restaurants quickly jumped on board, to help L'Arche plan their most delicious fundraiser since 1972.

"We were sold on it from day one," said Chris Sirianni, owner of the Brewerie, which hosted the event. "Great event, great time, great community support."

L'Arche has provided community homes for intellectually disabled adults in Erie for the past 40 years, and it's one of 140 around the world.

They celebrated the milestone with a lasagna cook-off between area restaurants, complete with celebrity judges.

"I think I'm a taste tester every day since I cook and I'm very critical," said celebrity judge Fr. Mike DeMartinis, "but this is my first time being a lasagna judge."

He was up for the challenge, though, to lend his support to a worthwhile cause.

"They're doing such good work, really and truly," he said, "these organizations make our community in Erie so beautiful."

Fundraisers like this are vital to continuing that good work, with less government money to rely on.

"We are publicly funded, but with the cutbacks in public funding... we do need to stretch our dollars as far as we can," said Patty Sperry of L'Arche, who helped organize the event.

The taste test was clearly about more than just lasagna, and it wasn't even just about the money. For L'Arche, their fundraiser had another more personal goal.

"our twofold goal was not only to fundraise, but to friend-raise, and we've raised lots of friends!" said Sperry.

All 400 hundred tickets to the event were sold.