There’s a new menu for the Friday Lenten fundraiser meals starting March 25 at Bell Township Volunteer Fire Department: The traditional fish fry has been replaced by spaghetti dinners.

“The price of everything this year is crazy,” said Bell Township VFD president and organizer Cody Auden. With fish in short supply and at a sky-high price, “we wouldn’t have been able to uphold the standards that our supporters have come to know. We felt it would be unfair to charge our supporters more for a lesser product.”

Auden said reaction has been mixed, but the department can’t afford to take a hiatus from fundraising. Two years of canceled events during the pandemic created a deficit of thousands of dollars. The department also had to cancel their bingo, craft shows and other festival events.

“We’re fundraising to keep our day-to-day operations going. We found some money coming in through online tip board fundraisers,” Auden said. “With rising costs, we’re feeling that strain, as many other people are, and needed to find new and different ways to be able to keep the doors open.”

Organizers were inspired to offer a non-traditional Lenten meal after seeing spaghetti dinner ideas on social media. “My mom said you guys should try that and I thought it was a good idea,” Bell Township volunteer firefighter Sam Lyons said.

Organizers are hopeful the unorthodox Lenten dinner will still draw diners, with a carb-heavy spaghetti dinner being a familiar option.

“We understand it’s fish fry season but we hope to have support for the event and look forward to having people inside our building again,” Auden said.

The all-you-can-eat dinner includes spaghetti in marinara sauce, salad, bread, dessert and non-alcoholic drinks. While Lenten tradition calls for no meat on fasting days, the fire department is also offering dinners with meatballs.

“We knew we could do it in a way the Catholics could have a meatless option and anyone else could have meat if they wanted,” said Lyons.

The dinners will be held every Friday beginnng March 25, from 4 to 6:30 p.m. at the fire hall, through Good Friday on April 15. The cost is $10 per person. Dine-in or takeout is available.

Auden said the spaghetti situation is not permanent.

“We will be reevaluating for next year and hope to return and bring the fish fry back , better than ever,” Auden said.

Bell Township resident Cora Shoupe, 86, volunteers her time selling tickets for all the fire department’s fundraisers.

“She’s our biggest supporter,” Auden said.

Shoupe said she’s going to pile her plate high with spaghetti at the dinners.

“I try and help them as much as I can,” she said.

Longtime fish fry regular customer Lisa Pampena, 58, of Washington Township, said she has tried all of the local fish fries and Bell Township’s has been her favorite.

She said her family makes it a tradition to gather at Bell Township fire hall on Fridays during Lent.

“I was sad to find out they couldn’t afford to run it this year,” said Pampena. She noted that Bell uses fresh — never frozen — fish fillets and runs a smooth operation.

“I’d be willing to pay double,” Pampena said. “We will miss the fish dearly this Lent season and I hope it can return next year. I know it’s a lot of work and we appreciate them.”

Organizers announced Thursday the cancellation of the spaghetti dinner scheduled for March 18, citing the recent death of a community member with close ties the fire department.