AURORA #- Timing is everything - especially when holding a fundraiser.

The Aurora Rotary Club teamed with United Ministry of Aurora Saturday to host a spaghetti welcome in winter dinner fundraiser on behalf of both groups, a dinner that was originally planned for Election Day.

“We heard that the (Aurora) Inn was having a dinner that night,” Edward Rossmann, president of the Aurora Rotary Club said. “We didn't want to go against them on election night. And then we thought maybe Veterans Day, but then we thought maybe that wouldn't be the best time either, so we decided on tonight for a welcome in winter dinner.”

Carol Christy, chairperson of the church's fellowship committee, said that when she was approached by the Rotary Club about doing the dinner, it seemed like a win-win situation for both organizations.

The church, which regularly holds dinners, split the profits from Saturday night's dinner with the club.

“We usually get a good turnout for these,” Christy said. “Rotary approached us about doing these dinners, and we've put them on before, so we thought it would be a good situation for everybody.”

Six members of the church's fellowship committee were joined in the kitchen by six members of the rotary club for an afternoon of preparing a full pasta dinner with meatballs and sauce, salads and bread.

“We've done a lot of these,” Christy said. “We pretty much have our routine down and we follow it pretty well.”

Christy said that the church's part of the funds would go toward the repair and upkeep of the church building.

Rotary's half of the funds will go toward the club's latest initiative, Polio Plus.

Rossmann explained that this is a program aimed at eliminating polio in the four countries, Indian, Pakistan, Nigeria and Afghanistan where it is still an issue.

Rossmann said this is an effort that began in the '80s and has been successful in helping eliminate polio in other areas, and Rossmann said that Rotary recently received a matching grant for $200 million from the Bill and Linda Gates Foundation for the project.

On a local level, Aurora Rotary has set a goal of raising $3,000 over the next three years.

Rossmann said that the Aurora club is relatively small, so teaming with the church and doing events like spaghetti dinners seem like a viable way to reach these goals.

“There are 10 of us,” Rossmann said. “Doing something like this (the dinner) seemed like something that we could do and they have the facilities here at the church. What can you do to raise funds? You can have raffles and things like that and this seemed like the best way to go.”

This effort combined with all the other Rotary clubs in New York, make $200 million an attainable goal.

“Rotary 7150 goes from here to Utica,” Rossmann said. “There are 47 clubs and then you put that with all the other districts in New York if we all raise $1,000 a year that is a goal we can reach.”