Sam Orlando Sr. was enjoying his 60th birthday party. It was a formal, black-tie affair with about 200 good friends and family.

Suddenly, an idea came to him. He stood up and said, "Thanks for coming. Next year, we're going to do it again. But this time, you're going to pay for it and it's all going to charity."

That was 12 years ago. Since then, Orlando and his family, who own the Orlando Gardens Banquet and Conference Centers, have hosted an annual dinner to raise money for local charities. The Orlando Family Foundation of Charities has raised almost $500,000 during the 11 fundraisers.

The tradition continues Saturday, Jan. 28, when the family will host 500 people at the Orlando Banquet Center, 4300 Hoffmeister Ave.

"These are the kinds of things we like to do for people," Orlando Sr. said. "It's a way of giving back to the community. It's also about people having a really good time."

The approach to the charity event is a little unusual. People purchase tables of eight seats at $1,200 per table in the name of a charity. Then, at the end of the evening, two of the charities are randomly chosen. They split the proceeds, which usually range from $25,000 to $30,000.

All of the participants know their charities may not be drawn, said Sam Orlando Jr., who is the general manager for the catering business.

"People know the format," he said. "This way, they might buy more tables per charity. It gives more chances for their charities to win. Some charities have participated all 11 years, but have not been picked. Even if they don't win, the people still had a nice evening with good food, and their money goes to help people."

The luckiest charity over the years has been Rainbows for Kids, which has been picked four separate times. Three of the four times, Rainbows for Kids split the winnings with another charity which hadn't been picked at the dinner.

The Orlando Family Foundation has been a big help, said Sally Rains, volunteer executive director with Rainbows for Kids. The non-profit organization provides fun events for children with cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

"It really has helped us a lot financially," Rains said. "When we won it for the first time, we were shocked. This is a great event. I always enjoy meeting people from other charities at the event."

The dinner gives charities a chance to network, said Jan Orlando, the wife of Orlando Sr.

"They meet and talk about fundraising and how they are doing," she said. "It's a chance to exchange some ideas."

Besides the charity work, the Orlandos take pride in the dinners. Each year, features a different theme with different menus, ranging from Tuscan to Asian-influenced.

The 10th dinner had a birthday theme to help celebrate the 70th birthday for Orlando Sr. Clowns and confetti cannons were part of the event. Another year, the desserts consisted of cookies and milk shakes.

The annual dinner is a lot of work, starting during the summer.

"The biggest challenge is that the dinner happens after the holiday season, which is one of our busiest times," Orlando Jr. said.

Despite the work, it is worth it to help people, he said.

For information on the Orlando Family Foundation of Charities dinner, call Sam Orlando Jr. at (314) 638-6660 ext. 14.