NEW BOSTON - The wait staff at the Golden Corral had some help on Tuesday night.

That's because the local American Red Cross chapter had its annual celebrity server fundraiser at the restaurant.

“We generally raise anywhere from $1,000 to $1,200,” local office coordinator Corvella Evans said. “That's give or take for the business, depending on whether it's slow. But we've got the best part of the evening to be here.”

The fundraiser was to go from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and money was raised from tips customers left their server.

Celebrity servers included high school students and Red Cross disaster team members. Besides collecting donations, the servers were ready to answer any questions diners would have about the Red Cross.

The Red Cross has had similar celebrity server nights at Ye Olde Lantern and the now-defunct O'Malley's.

“This has been going on locally for years,” Evans said. “It wasn't started by us. All the Golden Corrals and their directors wanted to pull together for the Red Cross and they wanted to do a fundraiser for one evening during the year.”

She said all of the area Golden Corrals compete to see which one can raise the most money.

All the proceeds raised reportedly will fund Red Cross disaster relief programs.

For example, if someone loses their house in a fire, the Red Cross can supply them with motel accommodations for a few days, along with food and clothing.

In some cases, the agency can pay one month rent for a disaster victim.

Victims need to turn in the fire report to the local agency and then they receive a voucher for whatever needs they have.

Red Cross services do not have to be paid back.

“It's an every-year struggle with us,” Evans said. “Scioto County is the highest county in Ohio for house fires.”

She could not say why that is true, however.

JEFF BARRON can be reached at (740) 353-3101, ext. 236.