The Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church is back with its annual World’s Largest Spaghetti Dinner and Greek Pastry sale, Nov. 16 between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m.

“Spaghetti is the perfect food for everyone of all ages,” Lia Hasapis said.

The spaghetti dinner not only serves as a fundraiser for the church, but also a delicious lunch and dinner for the community. According to Hasapis, the sauce is a special recipe passed down from generation to generation, and the spaghetti dinner and pastry sale is a chance for the church to show the community “kefi,” which means fun, enthusiasm and a passion for life
in Greek.

“We provide kefi at the [spaghetti dinner],” Hasapis said.

It takes nearly 4,000 pounds of dry spaghetti, 900 gallons of tomato sauce and over 100 volunteers to make this delicious fundraiser a reality. The volunteers at Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church start by preparing noodles, spaghetti sauce, cheese, bread and baking pastries days in advance.

“With the spaghetti dinner and Greek pastry sale [called] the world’s largest, it takes a lot of prep work to [get ready] for such” a big event, Hasapis said.

If you missed the Greek pastries Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church delivered back in September during the Greek Festival, this is your opportunity to right that wrong.
Desserts include Baklava, Greece’s most famous dessert, a phyllo layered pastry filled with honey, spices and chopped nuts; Kataifi, shredded phyllo filled with nuts, dipped in honey and syrup; Finikia, a traditional Greek spice cookie that is sweet, crumbly, dipped in honey and topped with nuts, plus much more.

The World’s Largest Spaghetti Dinner and Greek Pastry sale is takeout only, between the hours of 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 16. Tickets are $10 per spaghetti plate, plus a la carte for everything else.
The Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church was built in 1954, when the Parish Council and Board of Directors for the Hellenic Community Center signed the contract to build the Hellenic Center at the northern edge of Oakridge Avenue.

The Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church has a chapel, classroom, fellowship hall and porch that opens into a spacious lot and stage. Since 2009, Reverend Alexander M. Papagikos has been serving the parish.

The Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church is located at 614 Oakridge Avenue, at the very end if coming from Hay Street. Keep in mind Oakridge Avenue begins directly across from the Cape Fear Regional Theatre at the top of the hill in Haymount.

The World’s Largest Spaghetti Dinner and Greek Pastry sale began in 1958, thanks to parishioner Pete Parrous. To learn more about the Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church, or to pre-order as many spaghetti plates as possible to be picked up during the event, please visit www.FayGreekChurch.com.