Nearly 100 players and coaches from the 46th Annual Blue-Gold All Star Football Game enjoyed the dinner. This was the 22nd year in a row that the Delaware National Guard hosted the event. (Photo by Capt. Len Gratteri)

Thirty pounds of spaghetti and 350 meatballs sounds like it could feed an army. Well, not quite - but it could help the Army feed nearly 100 hungry high school football players participating in the 46th annual Blue-Gold All Star Football Game.

On Monday afternoon, June 25^th, members of the Army Guard’s Recruiting and Retention Team gathered at the State Headquarters kitchen to prepare a feast and for the 22^nd year in a row, the Delaware National Guard hosted it’s annual Blue-Gold All Star Football Game Dinner.

Volunteer Spec. Peter Buoncristiano, a cook with the 193rd Regional Training Institute, helps to prepare one of many servings of spaghetti. Buoncristiano is a formerly a cook in the Marine Corps and routinely fed thousands per meal. (Photo by Capt. Len Gratteri)

"What takes us three hours to prepare, these kids eat up in about fifteen minutes," said Sgt. Maj. Ralph Rossi. Ten to 15 volunteers for the dinner arrive at 2 p.m. to start cooking and setting up for the meal. "Getting ready to serve 100 teenage boys might seem stressful, but to us it’s the calm before the storm," said Rossi. At 5 p.m. the doors open, the players arrive and head straight for the chow. To the first-timer at the dinner it’s quite a sight to see as hulking youngsters devour huge mounds of pasta, stopping only briefly to talk with their buddies. But for Rossi, it’s something he has been doing for 22 years. "I got involved with my first dinner in 1982 and enjoy it so much that I keep coming back for more," he explained. "Up until about 10 years ago, restaurant owners from the ‘Little Italy’ neighborhood of Wilmington ran the dinner and we helped. After that time, the Army Guard Recruiting and Retention Team took over and now run it all by ourselves," he added.

Nearly 100 players and coaches from the 46th Annual Blue-Gold All Star Football Game enjoyed the dinner. This was the 22nd year in a row that the Delaware National Guard hosted the event. (Photo by Capt. Len Gratteri)

The Blue-Gold All Star Football Game is played by recently-graduated Delaware high school football players and benefits the Delaware Foundation for Retarded Citizens by raising not only funds, but awareness of the general public, explained T.J. Voell, Vice Chairman of the game. "While the planning process is year-round, the real fun is game week. This dinner is always something we look forward to as it’s a great meal and a chance to relax for a few minutes and enjoy ourselves. We can’t thank the Delaware Guard enough for their support," he said.

Chief Warrant Officer Lou Strengari adds the meatballs for the finishing touches. Strengari played in the 1967 Blue-Gold game as a quarterback and captain of the Gold team. His sons, Jeff and Dan also played in the game, representing Newark High School. (Photo by Capt. Len Gratteri)

One of the volunteers helping prepare the dinner this year is Chief Warrant Officer Lou Strengari. Although this is only his sixth or seventh year assisting with the dinner, through the years has seen every side of the Blue-Gold All Star Game. Now the State Comptroller for the Delaware National Guard, he played in the game in 1967 as a quarterback from Newark High School and the captain of the "Gold" All Stars. In 1995, his son Jeff followed in his footsteps and also played in the game as a quarterback. Then in 1999, his son Dan was the starting fullback and linebacker for the "Gold" team. Strengari has also been asked to coach in the game and would love to if he can overcome some scheduling conflicts.

It takes a lot of teamwork to get the meal just right. (left to right) Sgt. Maj. Charlie Donahue, Staff Sgt. Robert Spear, Sgt. Maj. Ralph Rossi and Col. Lou McCloskey form a production line to keep up with the appetites of the hungry football players. (Photo by Capt. Len Gratteri)

This year, one of the Delaware Army Guard soldiers is also a player in the game. Pfc. Chris Crosby is not only an all-star fullback and middle linebacker from John Dickinson High School, he’s also a split-option soldier heading for the 249^th Engineer Detachment as a metal worker after he completes Advanced Individual Training (AIT). Crosby completed Basic Training last year at Fort Benning, Georgia and has been drilling as part of the Recruit Training School at Bethany Beach until he ships to AIT.

Colleen Donahue, daughter of Sgt. Maj. Charlie and Sgt. First Class Geri Donahue, helps clean up after the dinner. (Photo by Capt. Len Gratteri)

"I was supposed to ship for AIT on 30 June, but that’s the day of the game. Thanks to Master Sgt. (Kevin) Dagg, we were able to change the ship date to 2 July and now I can play," said Crosby. "The dinner is a great break from the two and three practices we have per day," he said. "But it’s not a long break. From the dinner, we go right back to practice," Crosby explained.

Likewise, after the last plate of spaghetti has been served and the kitchen cleaned, Rossi and his crew will start preparing to make next year’s dinner even better.