When entering the cafeteria after 5 p.m on Friday, one may be surprised that its typical minimal interior is now filled to the brim with red, white and black decor. However, guests felt happily welcomed as they were greeted by the bass of pop hits playing on speakers, the smell of Italian cuisine and smiling Lariettes greeting them as they took their seats.
The Lariette’s annual Spaghetti Dinner ran from 5-6:45 p.m on Friday, serving as the traditional pregame for many local residents before Coppell’s first home football game of the season. The dinner serves as the Lariette’s largest fundraiser of the year, with raffle tickets, Lariette merchandise and more being offered for purchase.
As one of their first community events of the year, the dinner gives the Lariettes’ community a first glimpse of their new leadership and dancers. Despite the inexperience of some members, the senior Lariettes and parent volunteers seamlessly integrated them into the well-run function.
“Every year we get a new group of girls and every year, the parents come knowing that this expectation is going to be thrust upon them,” Lariettes assistant director Julie Stralow said. “A lot have come in not knowing much about spaghetti dinner but they get trained really fast.”
The dinner featured many traditional favorites such as the online auction and bake sale. However, a notably large number of Lariettes alumni attended this year to celebrate the Lariettes program’s 60th anniversary and 35th annual Spaghetti Dinner.
As the alumni dancers performed a special halftime routine at Buddy Echols Field in Coppell’s 31-10 victory over Sachse, many alumni decided to attend the Spaghetti Dinner as a way to re-immerse themself in beloved Lariette traditions.
”We decided to have the alumni come back for this particular game because we knew we were going to have the Spaghetti Dinner on it,” Stralow said. “It was kind of nice to just pull everything in at once. Then that way, we could have people who worked the Spaghetti Dinner for the last 35 years experience that again.”
Visits from the alumni remind the program of how successful it has been, both in terms of their performances and their strong connection with the community.
”It has never faltered. Maybe, sometimes the bottom line, the money isn’t always the same or it’s not necessarily growing every year. But the feeling that it gives everyone, and the pride that it gives the girls and the parents knowing that the whole community is coming for this event and is looking forward to this event, I think that’s the most exciting thing,” Stralow said.
While the quality of the dinner never falters, many involved in the Lariettes community have noticed an upward growth in the amount of attendees that the fundraiser has begun to receive.
“Lariettes is becoming more of a big thing in this city and it’s just really cool to see that people are supporting us because of how much we support them,”’ senior Lariettes captain Emme Ratliff said.
As this dinner gives a glimpse from the past, the future also appears bright for the program as many alumni family members and Coppell residents hope to join the program in the future.
Lariettes alumni Brenna Poynter, who graduated from CHS in 2011 and has since then returned to Coppell, hopes that her nine-month old daughter Rylin will follow in her footsteps and become a Lariette one day.
“I think it would be great. That’s why she’s wearing the fringe, so hopefully I’m speaking it into existence,” Poynter said.
As the program opens on its 60th year of performing along with its 35th year of hosting the annual dinner, the continued strength of the program stands as a testament against time.
”Through all the directors, all the booster clubs, all these years, we’ve always been able to maintain a strong group that will always put on the best work,” Stralow said
Follow @CHSCampusNews on X.
