The Sunnyslope Kiwanis Club invites the community to help the club support local elementary schoolchildren by attending a dinner set for this month.

Gaiteros del Valle, also know as the GDV Band, will perform at this year’s Dinner in the Desert, hosted by the Sunnyslope Kiwanis Club on Friday, April 29 (submitted photo).

Each year the club hands out more than 3,000 dictionaries to third-grand students in the Washington Elementary School District. But these aren’t your ordinary student dictionaries. They also contain an abbreviated encyclopedia, a basic sign-language alphabet, a history of the U.S. presidents, and more.

This dictionary program is funded in part by the Sunnyslope Kiwanis Club’s annual Dinner in the Desert, set for 6-9 p.m. Friday, April 29 at ValleyLife, 1142 W. Hatcher Road. For $30 ($5 for children 11 and younger), attendees can enjoy chicken or ribs, side dishes and dessert provided by Burnt Biscuit and served by Kiwanis volunteers, along with musical entertainment from the GDV Band, and a 50/50 raffle.

Also at this year’s dinner, the Sunnyslope Kiwanis Club will pay special tribute to District 3 Councilman Bill Gates, who has announced he will step down in May to run for the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. Gates has been a staunch supporter of the Sunnyslope community and the efforts of the Kiwanis to aid local youth.

Tickets are available for purchase online at www.dinnerinthedesert.info.

For more information or to inquire about sponsorships, contact Brian Vance at 6021-550-3991 or Craig Dean at 602-312-8410.