PORTLAND — The Falmouth Rotary Club will host the second annual LobsterFest at the Maine State Pier on Saturday, June 26. The event will raise money for the Jessie Fund and the Maine Children’s Cancer Program.

“We wanted a local charity,” said David Jones, president of the Falmouth Rotary and organizer of the event.

He said the club was inspired by Jessie Bullens-Crewe, the young girl who fought and lost her battle with cancer in 1996. Her family, including her mother, singer-songwriter Cindy Bullens, started the Jessie Fund as a way to commemorate the little girl’s life and offer hope and support to other families affected by the disease.

“Everyone out there knows someone dying of cancer, and children dying of cancer is just so sad,” Jones said.

Rotary Club members will collect a suggested donation of $5 at the door and tickets for the lobster or barbecue dinner, which can be purchased on portlandlobsterfest.com, will be $12.50. The lobster will be prepared by members of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association.

There will also be a raffle for a $1,000 Weber Grill. The same grill was raffled off last year, but winner David Sherman donated the grill back to the Rotary for use in this year’s raffle.

In addition to a wide variety of food and craft vendors, a mechanical bull, and children’s entertainment, there will be a beer garden and three bands performing throughout the afternoon and into the evening. The gates open at 11 a.m. and the bands will begin at noon. Jones said he expects the celebration to go late into the night.

Last year more than 2,000 people attended the event. Jones said they are expecting closer to 5,000 people this year.

“It’s going to be a growing event, every year,” he said. “Last year we had a great time.”

Emily Parkhurst can be reached at 781-3661 ext. 125 or eparkhurst@theforecaster.net