The Kiwanis Spaghetti Dinner is coming!!
Fun Fact: An old propane tank from the “Algiers” steamboat was salvaged and now fuels the outdoor kitchen for the Kiwanis Spaghetti Dinner!
The Kiwanis Spaghetti Dinner is coming!! The annual fundraising event will be held this year on Saturday, February 24 at the Sanibel Community House.
For $10 per person (kids under 10 are free), attendees get an all-you-can-eat pasta feast, with salad, spaghetti, meatballs, garlic bread, and wine or soda. After dinner, guests continue on to the not-to-be-missed raffle give-aways and silent auction, all while enjoying the biggest “community block party” on the island.
The Kiwanis Spaghetti Dinner has been the source of many colorful stories over the years (just ask Andy). There are wild rumors about what goes into the meatballs and “special sauce,” although for the record, raccoon has never been an ingredient.
One true story, not well known, involves the origins of the outdoor kitchen used to cook the pasta and sauce, which was first put together in the early 1980s. Kiwanian Curt Reinhardt, who worked for the City of Sanibel Public Works Department, knew that a large propane tank and cooking implements had been removed from the old Algiers steamboat when it was dismantled, and that the parts were stored at Public Works. He also knew the city had no use for the propane tank and stoves, so it was arranged for Kiwanis to “requisition” those items. That equipment, along with an old boat trailer frame from another Kiwanis member, became the original Kiwanis portable outdoor kitchen and served for 30-plus years. A few years ago, a shiny new trailer replaced the old original trailer, but the spirit of the Algiers lives on as Kiwanians set up their outdoor kitchen each February for the spaghetti dinner.
Thanks to Tom Sharbaugh and our friends at the Island Sun for the info. If you haven’t purchased your tickets yet for the Kiwanis Spaghetti Dinner, you can grab some from Andy!
P.S. Tickets will also be available at the door. The Sanibel Community House is located at 2173 Periwinkle Way.
