Auburn 49er Lions host Celebrity Chef dinner Thursday

From meatballs to clam chowder, guests should be prepared to fill their plates and their stomachs with a variety of food at the 35th annual Celebrity Chefs event Thursday. The Auburn 49er Lions Club will host the Celebrity Chefs Cooking for Community Service dinner at 5 p.m. Thursday in the Placer Building at the Gold Country Fairgrounds. This year's event features more than 60 local celebrity chefs, each providing a unique dish to share with guests. Celebrity chefs include Auburn City Councilwoman Alice Dowdin Calvillo, City Manager John Donlevy, Placer County Supervisors Jim Holmes and Cindy Gustafson, representatives from the Auburn Chamber of Commerce, Auburn Police Department, Placer County Sheriff's Office, Placer County Probation and more. "Part of the draw for this event is people get to get out and see each other again," said Paula Mosqueda, a member of the Auburn 49er Lions Club. "It's such a nice feeling and everyone is in a good mood." Mosqueda said she always looks forward to the shrimp cocktail from the Meadow Vista Lions Club. It's a dish she doesn't make for herself. "It's always a variety of foods and I look forward to having something I don't normally cook," Mosqueda said. The event will also feature live music and raffle items. It's the Auburn 49er Lions Club's biggest fundraiser of the year, benefitting the club's Community Fund. The funds collected from this event will assist the Lions in their mission to provide eye glasses and hearing aids to those who cannot afford them. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at the door or in advance at Golden Swann Jewelers, 881 Lincoln Way, and the Assistance League Thrift Shop, 1263 Grass Valley Highway, in Auburn.