Preparing for the “Mystery at Angelina and Frank’s Wedding” are, from left, Nelson Garifi, writer and cast member, Jeanette Caprino of the Kidney Connection, Joe Iuculano, musician, Nina Bell of the Kidney Connection, and Dennis Webster, cast member.

Local organization and free website, The Kidney Connection, is set to host an interactive mystery event at the beginning of November to help with its goal of raising awareness about local kidney donations.

The Kidney Connection will host “Mystery at Angelina and Frank’s Wedding” at 6 p.m. on Nov. 9 at the Moon Brook Country Club, 2879 North Main Street Exit. Organizer of the event and co-founder of the Kidney Connection, Jeanette Caprino, said she has been interested in doing an event like this for a while.

“I’ve always wanted to do a murder mystery event,” Caprino said. “I’ve heard about these types of interactive events before at different venues. This one will be an Italian wedding reception, and will be done by a troop that has done these types of events before.”

Caprino said someone from Jamestown Community College will also be helping put on the event. The Nov 9 mystery will feature performers who have been involved in the longest running continuous mysteries events in the Jamestown area. Guests will be immersed in an Italian family wedding scenario including an Italian buffet with music provided by accordionist Joe Iuculano. Dennis Webster will serve as the chief inspector as the wedding guests try to solve a crime. Characters will be portrayed by Jade Barber, Jamie Bell, Emily Blackwood, Nelson Garifi, Vince Joy, Lucas Riczker, Nickey Riczker, Steve Riczker, Paula Rondeau, and Sheila Webster.

The event is $60 per person, including a cash bar and serves as a fundraiser for the Kidney Connection, which Caprino helped fund in 2006 after going through the process of helping her son receive a kidney from a stranger she met through the internet, which she said has galvanized her commitment to assisting those in need of transplants in this region to be matched with donors. According to national statistics, over 90,000 individuals are awaiting kidney transplants in the United States.

“We promote kidney donation and educate those in need on how to be proactive,” Caprino said. “We also gather feedback from people who have donated a kidney and relay their experiences and feelings to those considering becoming living kidney donors.”

The Kidney Connection created a free website, KidneyConnection.org, which focuses on helping people find potential living kidney donors and helping those in need of a kidney on a waiting list to communicate with those donors.

“We hope that this site will help our neighbors and friends make that connection and that more people will be able to give and receive the gift of life,” Caprino said.

The website also helps potential living donors and recipients connect to someone locally, as it is all locally based, therefore taking away expenses such as travel. Caprino said sometimes the process of receiving a kidney donation can take a long time and their website gives people another option.

Caprino invited everyone to check out and come to their mystery event, saying that so far from people she has heard from they seem to think it will be fun, and there are not a lot of similar events around this area. The event will also include raffle prizes.

Caprino said guests will come into the dinner and begin by experiencing a typical Italian wedding reception, including dinner, cake and dancing.

“The actors will be in with the crowd and giving them clues,” Caprino said. “Then the murder happens and the audience gets to figure out who the murder is.”

The most important thing for Caprino with this event is raising awareness of people’s ability to be living kidney donors.

“I think people don’t realize that you can be a living kidney donor,” Caprino said. “You only need one kidney to live. Because our website focuses on the local region, including Buffalo and Fredonia, we cover a wide area and people don’t realize how many people in this area are in need. This is neighbors helping neighbors.”

Caprino said anyone can be a donor and for those on dialysis and in need of transplants they never know where that transplant may come from. She added there are different ways to be a donor as well, including helping someone who might be a match but in need of a different blood type.

The Kidney Connection is a tax exempt 501c3, so all donations to the organization are tax deductible. Caprino said their main goal is to help those in need of kidney transplants find one easier.

“To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world,” Caprino said. “18 people die everyday waiting for a kidney. In Western New York there are many people on the waiting list, and those are people we can take off of the list if we help them find a living donor. We have already helped with at least 17 transplants that were stranger to stranger in this area.”

For reservations, email Caprino at jeanettecaprino@gmail.com or call or text (716)450-8958. Seating is limited and additional information is available at www.kidneyconnection.org.