Only a few tickets remain for one of the 5,000 shrimp plates that will be handed out today during the four-hour pickup at Lincoln Civic Center.

Two and a half tons of shrimp were boiled Wednesday by K&B Seafood for the 32nd Peel ‘Em and Eat ‘Em Shrimp Dinner, the only fundraiser each year for the Junior Auxiliary of Brookhaven.

“Ticket sales were really good this year,” said JA shrimp chairwoman Sheila Sartin.

If any tickets remain, they are $15 each. Call the Shrimp Hotline at 601-754-9380 for availability.

Those with tickets in hand can pick up plates from 3-7 p.m. at the civic center. Brookhaven police will be directing traffic in and out of the parking lot.

In addition to the shrimp dinners, JA members offer desserts in the Sweet Shoppe that a dedicated committee of women set up near the pickup area.

The JA serves home-baked goods from full-size cakes to individual servings for purchase by cash or check only. Many are made from treasured JA recipes, like the Mississippi mud cake, which has been a staple of the Sweet Shoppe for more than three decades. Each member is responsible for an item and members of the Crown Club — JA’s youth group — also add to the selection. Life Members also contribute.

“There will all kinds of sweets. You’ll have all kind of varieties and all prices because we sell individual servings,” Sartin said.

Since 1954, Junior Auxiliary of Brookhaven has been dedicated to helping the children of Lincoln County. From literacy initiatives to financial support and everything in between, the women of JA strive to help support future generations.

This is the JA’s only fundraising event each year. After expenses, the money raised from the dinner and Sweet Shoppe is used to fund JA service projects such as Wish Tree, Smile Games for special needs students, Reality World for ninth-graders, a suicide prevention program, school health fairs for fifth graders, Crown Club, school clothes closets, community assistance and scholarships.