Spaghetti about more than sauce
At about 8 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 28, the Jonesborough Middle School cafeteria will come alive. Lettuce, tomatoes, noodles, tomato sauce, pies, cakes, spices and an army of kitchen workers will arrive for the eight-hour process of making 80 plus gallons of Jonesboroughs finest spaghetti sauce, 145 pounds of noodles and hundreds of salads, desserts and drinks.
Yes, it is time for the annual Jonesborough Kiwanis Spaghetti Dinner, serving hundreds each year since the mid 1960s to raise money to help children in and around Jonesborough.
The famous sauce formula of Lloyd Fleenor and Judson Thornton is legendary and this, along with the ability to visit with 900 of your closest friends, are the keys to the success of this event.
This year Kiwanis has something new. With the recent loss of Luke Story to cancer, and considering the need to have a robust education program for children about fire safety, Jonesborough Kiwanis, the Jonesborough Fire Department, and the Sequoia Council of the Boy Scouts will be collecting donations to create a full outdoor fire safety and wilderness first aid program for the local Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts.
Donations can be made at the door with cash or credit card, or can be mailed to the Kiwanis of Jonesborough Foundation, P.O. Box 826, Jonesborough, TN 37659. Scouts and fire personnel will be available during the spaghetti dinner to answer questions.
This is just one of over 20 local programs supported by funds raised when you enjoy your dinner. Others include Shop with a Cop, At Home With Santa, Little League, soccer, Girls on the Run, 4H, etc.
This year, Kiwanis worked with the Town of Jonesborough to complete the Kiwanis Frisbee Golf Course in Persimmon Ridge Park, in addition to supporting a variety of childrens events such as the Eggstravaganza, Halloween Haunts and Happenings, and At Home with Santa.
Members are also active in eight county schools providing reading assistance to first- and second-graders in the classroom, acting as proctors for TCAP testing, and providing support to the On My Own program, designed to help high school students prepare for living on their own. The club also supports the various PTAs with donations and supplies for teachers.
To train our youth in organizational and service skills, Kiwanis has established and sponsors the David Crockett High School Key Club, and the Builders Clubs at Jonesborough Middle School and Grandview. Each of these clubs, with a volunteer teacher sponsor, elects its own officers, and creates and implements its own service projects. This is a valuable experience for kids to learn organizational management skills and participate in service to the community. The club is working to expand these clubs to other schools as well.
The members of Kiwanis cannot adequately express their appreciation for the communitys support throughout the years; from our businesses, our town leadership, and from YOU! Thank YOU.
So come and enjoy a great meal which is also a fundraiser for Kiwanis. Meet old friends, make new friends and support the Kiwanis Club as it serves the children of our community.
Finally, the club is always looking for new members. It meets Wednesdays at noon at the Jonesborough Methodist Church annex. Come one, come all.