Nearly a thousand Suffolk residents will once again enjoy delicious seafood this spring while supporting a local organization.

The 41st annual Chuckatuck Oyster Roast will be April 12. It is sponsored by the Chuckatuck Ruritan Club with the support of the Chuckatuck Volunteer Fire Department.

The event will be at the farm owned by Lynn and Charles Rose off 6001 Everets Road. Signs will point drivers toward the event location at Stoney Landing on the property.

A social hour will begin at 3 p.m., followed by the banquet at 4 p.m. Approximately 800 oyster-lovers are expected to enjoy more than 175 bushels of oysters and 120 gallons of clam chowder. Beverages such as iced tea and beer are also provided.

“It’s always a good event,” Lynn Rose said. “We usually have family members that come in town for it. We thoroughly enjoy it.”

Tickets are $35 in advance and $40 at the gate. All proceeds will be donated to children’s programs, clinics and other community service organizations.

“Everything we make goes back into the community,” Chuckatuck Ruritan Club vice president and oyster roast co-chairman Kirk Pretlow said.

Oysters will be delivered to tables by the wheelbarrow. Pretlow said Ruritan Club members and firefighters will meet the night before and prepare potatoes, green peppers and bacon for clam chowder.

“We have great reviews on the clam chowders and the oysters,” Chuckatuck volunteer firefighter Jay Saunders said. “Looking forward to giving everybody a great meal.”

The clam chowder recipe is by the late William “Jerry” Saunders, a Chuckatuck volunteer firefighter with 60 years of service and the department’s third chief. He was also a member of the Chuckatuck Ruritan Club and helped start the oyster roast in 1976.

He passed away in 2014 at 74 years old. His son is proud to continue the family tradition.

“It’s an honor and a privilege to be able to continue what he worked so hard for over the years,” Saunders said. “Hopefully we can continue to give everyone the same experience he helped create.”

The roast is one of the first events of spring and hopes are for more than 1,000 seafood lovers. Pretlow said there has been a rise in attendance in recent years, and tickets may be scarce.

“People need to go ahead and buy them in advance if they want to be assured they’ll get in,” he said.

Call 539-3488 for tickets and more information.