Island club set to host annual Kiwanis Spaghetti Dinner
This weekend, the Sanibel-Captiva Kiwanis Club will cook up and serve thousands of meatballs, hundreds of pounds of spaghetti and dozens of gallons of marinara sauce in a long-standing tradition.
The 39th annual Kiwanis Spaghetti Dinner will take place on Feb. 23 from 4 to 8 p.m. at The Community House on Sanibel. One of the club’s two major fundraisers for the year, the event will feature an all-you-can-eat Italian feast, along with raffles, a live and silent auction, and music.
“We’re up there in the high 30s in terms of the number of years we’ve been doing this,” Tom Sharbaugh, one member on the four-person committee that organizes the dinner each year, said.
The other members are Kiwanians Ed Ridlehoover, Pete Bender and Bill Hay.
“It’s become something everyone likes to go to,” he said.
Sharbaugh explained that the family aspect of the dinner is a big part of its popularity.
“It’s very much a down-home family-friendly (event) – almost like a community block party, but indoors,” he said. “It’s one of the reasons it’s become such a staple on the calendar for Sanibel people.”
Sharbaugh explained that families and groups of friends or neighbors will get together and purchase tickets to attend the event. On average, the club serves between 1,400 to 1,500 diners every year.
Tickets are $10 in advance or $11 at the door; children age 9 and under eat for free.
The dinner includes spaghetti, meatballs and sauce, garlic bread and salad, along with wine or soda. Coffee and dessert will be available in the back room, but they are not included in the ticket price.
This year, the desserts will be the world-famous cakes from The Bubble Room on Captiva.
“They are donating the cakes for our dessert room,” he said of the new sponsor.
The Red Velvet, Orange Crunch and a chocolate one are likely options.
“The most popular items,” Sharbaugh said.
Another new element of this year’s event is the increased number of participating sponsors, whether they are providing cash donations, items for the raffle and auctions, or ingredients for the dinner.
“We have got a surprising number of more and more businesses stepping up to help,” he said.
Following the dinner, dozens of items will be up for grabs in the auctions.
“We have a silent auction and a live auction,” Sharbaugh said.
The lineup of items includes: beautiful jewelry pieces, artwork and crystal, bicycles and sporting equipment, children’s toys, tools, electronics, clothing, and plenty of gift certificates for local resort and condo stays, restaurants and services. Plus, some one-of-a-kind items not available anywhere else.
“We’ve had great success with boat fishing trips, multi-night resort stays,” he said. “A lot of golf outings that are popular with folks who come, theater tickets – that sort of thing.”
One speciality item on the table this year is the iconic sign from the former Jacaranda Restaurant, which was donated to the event by Eve Alves, the owner of The Jac Island Grille & Rum Bar.
In addition, there will $1 raffle tickets for sale for a range of prizes.
“It’s a lot of gift certificates to local businesses for services, to restaurants, that sort of thing,” Sharbaugh said, adding that there will also be donated merchandise like coolers and toys.
Live music will be provided by a deejay.
“We’ve had the same deejay for probably 10 years. He knows the kind of music people like and he takes requests,” he said. “He gets them pumped up for having a good time.”
The event proceeds fund recreational and educational activities for island youth, plus a scholarship program that hands out about $45,000 annually. Over 26 groups and programs receive support.
“Kids are totally our focus as we make judgements about where the grants go,” Sharbaugh said. “We generate probably $120,000 or more of funds (through the two annual fundraisers) that are then brought back into the island community for programs that benefit kids. The money we raise here, stays here.”
The club supports programs at The Sanibel School and Sanibel Public Library, a scholarship program for the Sanibel Recreation Center, summer programs at BIG ARTS, youth sport activities and more.
“It’s a very wide-ranging list of programs that we support,” he said.
This year’s platinum sponsors are the Lee Health Foundation and IL Cielo Restaurant, and the gold sponsors are Bank of the Islands, the Sanibel-Captiva Trust Company and Beach UPS Store. There is also a long list of silver sponsors, plus businesses and groups that donate to the event in other ways.
Sharbaugh encouraged residents and visitors to get their tickets and come out.
“In addition to the causes, the fact is it’s a roaring good time,” he said. “It’s a very friendly, buzzing quirky event that when people come to it for the first time they’re amazed.”
Advance tickets are available from any Kiwanis member and at Bailey’s General Store, Bank of the Islands, Sanibel Captiva Community Bank, Big Red Q Printing, Island Pharmacy and Periwinkle Park.
For more information, visit sanibelkiwanis.org or www.facebook.com/sanibelkiwanis.
The Community House is at 2173 Periwinkle Way.