AUBURN -- For a full century, the annual Food Festival at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Auburn has been a family affair.

In 1908, the year the church was built, church member Ralph Cheche organized a festival that served as a fundraiser to aid the new congregation. In the 99 years since, though scores of parishioners have assisted in presenting the affair, a member of the Cheche family has usually led the organization of the event, which is now attended by about 1,000 people each year.

And Sunday's festival was indeed special, as throngs of people flocked to the church to fill their bellies with scrumptious Italian offerings as they helped St. Francis celebrate its 100th anniversary.

"We've been blessed with some beautiful weather today, and in fact we haven't had rain on a (festival) day in about 20 years," Ted Cheche, the parish member in charge of the event's organization (and Ralph's grandson), said Sunday morning.

The festival is held yearly on the Sunday closest to Aug. 15, which is the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the day Roman Catholics celebrate Mary's passage into heaven.

"We start working on this festival weeks in advance," he said, noting that numerous parish members devote hundreds of hours toward planning the festival, some people working practically around the clock in the days leading up to the event. "We've had so many people who have been in our fellowship hall since Thursday, just working and working. And they're getting older and older. The only 'danger' within the organization is that the number of younger people who are willing to work is getting smaller."

Sunday's festival, though, saw numerous volunteers both young and old serve food and beverages to hundreds of guests beneath a large tent set up in the church parking lot.

"This (festival) is one of the only times that all our parish organizations come together," Cheche said.

Nearest the tent entrance was the "Pizza Freak" table, presented by the ladies of the Sacred Heart Society. Wearing red aprons bearing the St. Francis of Assisi logo, the women dished out tasty foods like pizza, ziti with meatballs and eggplant parmigiana to anxious guests.

"And boy, the smell of those meatballs cooking earlier this week was just excellent," Cheche said.

Next to that was a huge display of cookies, pies and cakes which were donated by various parish members, the desserts also served by Sacred Heart members.

Elsewhere under the tent, members of the Knights of Columbus passed out heaping portions of sausage and peppers, hot dogs and hamburgers. Behind yet another table stood several men of the church, who dispensed clams and beer. Non-alcoholic beverages were served by members of the Catholic Youth Organization.

New to this year's festival, Cheche said, was a booth where parish members sold gifts.

"The gift shop is something we'll have this year only, and they're selling goods like aprons, T-shirts and hats," he said, adding that those items commemorate the church's 100th anniversary.

On Sept. 30, Cheche said, the church will hold a celebration to mark the occasion.

"We have a committee that's planning a large dinner, and the bishop will come to bless the property and say mass," he said.