Lifting a lid from the serving tray, Carol Mahoney pushed her tongs through steaming ears of corn, plump shrimp, and vegetables Saturday evening, October 13. In the serving line beside her were Sue Body and Ed Miklaszewski.

The annual dinner at Newtown Congregational Church, the Mississippi BBQ & Low Country Shrimp Boil offered a full BBQ chicken and boiled shrimp dinner with sides, soft drinks, and dessert. Proceeds benefit Back Bay Mission, located in Biloxi, Miss., which the church has had a working partnership with since 2006, when members began traveling to the Gulf city for restoration work one year after Hurricane Katrina.

Church member Jerry Cole said he first went to Biloxi in 2007. Groups from NCC continue to go to the southern Mississippi city at least twice a year, often including both students and adults. He noted that [naviga:u]Newtown Bee Associate Editor Shannon Hicks “was the first from the church to go[/naviga:u], and she got the rest of us to go.”

Among the many guests filling the church hall Saturday evening was Paul Arneth, who presented a $500 check on behalf of Newtown Lions Club to Mr Cole and fellow church member Katherine Simpson. All three are members of both the church and the local Lions Club. The Lions annually contribute to supplement funds raised.