Claws for a Cause Lobster Party This Saturday Benefits Charity!

Ahh, lobster meat ... such an expensive delicacy and so tasty ...

Well, there will be plenty to enjoy starting at 5:30 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 8 outside after thousands of pounds of the large marine crustaceans are steamed and all for a great cause!

The Los Gatos Morning Rotary Club and the popular Irish pub and restaurant are co-hosting the awesome town fundraiser called , now in its eighth year.

Bob Long, a spokesman for the club, said those who purchase the $90 ticket for the all-you-can-eat lobster party will help raise money for worthwhile causes such as , feeding the homeless, the End Polio Now campaign, youth leadership programs, school music instruction and scholarships for college.

"Pretty much all of the beneficiaries fall under youth arts and music," Long said about the nonprofits that are helped every year with money raised during the event that attracts between 1,000 and 1,200 people.

The club, along with youth from , designed and manufactured this year solar panel systems that emit 60 watts of energy to allow these underprivileged students to be able to study in the dark, Long explained.

Just a few days ago, the club shipped one of the units to Bangalore, India in partnership with its sister Rotary Club there, Long explained.

A total of 145 volunteers work hard to put together the lobster feed, with about 75 Rotarians, 60 Sea Scouts who clean tables and serve extra lobsters and other Boy Scouts and Los Gatos High School Music Boosters volunteers.

How much does the club spend to buy the 3,000 lobsters, which are flown in
from Maine and cooked fresh at the party?

Long wouldn't say exactly, explaining that the order for the crustaceans will be placed on Thursday of this week with Rotarians watching the online sales to turn their order after they have a good feel for how many people will attend the fundraiser.

"We do a campaign in the final couple of days to get the word out and place the order," Long said.

On Sunday, whatever lobsters are not consumed will be sold to a fresh lobster market to help the club get all money spent returned, Long said.

Also, attendees will be able to purchase lobsters after they're stopped being served at around 8:30 p.m., Long added.

The event is said to be one of the largest fundraisers for the Los Gatos Morning Rotary Club, next to their Plein Air art show this past June which raised more than $40,000 for the 's Charitable Foundation, Long said.

"We were up 30 percent and we hope the lobster party will be up 30 percent as well," he said. "It's definitely the most people to one of our fundraisers."

Long praised C.B. Hannegan's for the infrastructure it provides to carry out the event such as the entire set up, working with the Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department to block off Bachman Avenue and providing all the side dishes served along with the lobsters such as tri-tip.

The small street will once again be closed off just like during C.B. Hannegan's St. Paddy's Day celebration in March. The club, however, will provide the tents and other items for the celebration.

You can also bring your own wine to the event and there will be a corkage fee for those who wish to purchase beverages, including beer and other cocktails, to accompany their lobster meals. "It's all superlatives ... it's the biggest block party of the year in Los Gatos," he said.

The popular Joe Sharino Band will also perform from 9-10:30 p.m., Long said.

To purchase tickets for the event, please click here.