(Mirror photo illustration by Gary M. Baranec and Tom Worthington II) Bob George (left) of Puzzletown and Banks Wallace of Newry prepare a batch of fish March 5 for the Lenten fish fry at St. Patrick’s Church in Newry. The parish holds an all-you-can eat seafood buffet from 4 to 7 p.m. every Friday during Lent in the school hall.

Food distributors, restaurants and grocery stores anxiously anticipate the Lenten season, which brings an increase in sales of fish and seafood products. Friday fish dinners throughout Lent — which runs from Ash Wednesday through Good Friday — at many churches and fire halls create extra business for food distributors. “We sell 10 times what we sell during the regular season during Lent. It is very important for us. Seafood is a high dollar volume business,” said Bill Blackburn, vice president of Blackburn-Russell Co., Bedford. “We see about a 25 percent increase in sales during Lent,” said Dennis Sullivan, operating manager at Shelco Seafood Co., Hollidaysburg. U.S. Foodservice Inc., Altoona, is the distributor for many of the local organizations that offer Friday fish dinners. “It does spike our sales through the fish fries and restaurants offering Lenten specials. People go out more on Fridays during Lent.