The Jonesborough Kiwanis Club held their annual Spaghetti Dinner fundraiser at David Crockett High School on Feb. 25 with all the fixings — including their famous sauce seasoned with heaps of love.
According to Kiwanis members, club President Terry Hagar was in the thick of it most of the day, helping prepare the special sauce for the spaghetti, then staying until the cleanup was finished well after 8 p.m.
“If you’re not familiar with Kiwanis you should know that our club is one of the oldest Kiwanis Clubs in the United States, having been founded by charter in 1926,” said Kiwanis member Randy Smythe. “Originally prepared about 57 years ago, the Kiwanis Club has been providing residents of Washington County the spaghetti dinner in the Jonesborough Middle School cafeteria, but this year for the first time we were unable to use the middle school due to equipment problems. This year we were invited to use the David Crockett High School cafeteria, and it was a great venue.”
Smythe added the David Crockett High School Key Club worked the long day and evening with the Kiwanis Club in preparing, serving and carrying takeouts to the front doors of the school.
Everyone was eager to help — either behind the scenes or front and center with friends.
“The faculty advisor of the Key Club, Tonya Poteet, is the high school librarian and also a gifted artist with the custom-made cakes that she designs, constructs, decorates and sells for special occasions,” Smythe noted. “Most of our members worked in various capacities from obtaining onions, hamburger, pasta, salads, our red wine special sauce, and we buy the cakes furnished by the Jonesborough Senior Center.”
Hungry attendees showed up at 4 p.m., ready to slurp noodles and sop up sauce.
The annual event is one of the club’s largest fundraisers, and funds raised help support multiple charities that in turn support the children of the region.
“Thanks so much to everyone who came, to everyone in our Kiwanis Club, to our beloved volunteers, to David Crockett High School Key Club, to Jonesborough Middle School Builders’ Club, and to Candace the kitchen manager who provided invaluable support,” Hagar said. “We owe the success of this fundraising event to all of you. Thank you!”