Rotary Club's annual Spaghetti Day raises funds to help local kids

The Poplar Bluff Rotary Club’s annual Spaghetti Day feeds more than hungry diners, the proceeds fill the education cravings of several local youth.

A $7 ticket entitles the customer to spaghetti, garlic bread, a drink and dessert Tuesday, April 2, at First Baptist Church and an opportunity to help others. Lunch will be from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. or eat dinner from 5-7 p.m.

The Rotary Club invests money every year in local projects including the “Good Habits Store” at Lake Road School, Boys & Girls Club, Boy Scouts, Poplar Bluff Public Library projects, Three Rivers College scholarships and Shop With a Hero.

Posing with the banner outside Lake Road School are Rotarians Matt and Becky Winters, and Americorp members who come and shop with the students. Photo provided

One of the local Rotary Club’s biggest projects is at Lake Road School, Rotarian Sandy Wood said. The club picked Lake Road because the members thought it was the least served school.

The money raised by the local Rotarians will be used in encouraging students to show up for school, study harder and to stay out of trouble. While the Rotarians do many projects for the students, the school’s principal Erica Weadon explained the Good Habits Store has the attendance report card improving yearly.

When Weadon talked with the club during the 2011-2012 school year, she said, “My attendance was a disaster. About 80.9 percent of the students were here 90 percent of the time. Friday was the worse day.”

The Rotarians asked if they had a Good Habits Store once a month on Friday would it help attendance. Goal sheets for each month were developed with the students writing in their points for every day. If the students have perfect attendance, they are awarded additional points.

Weadon said the students are given “play” money to use when they shop. The store has toys, hygiene products, gloves, hats and coats. If an item costs more than the student has, they encourage the student to save points allowing them to roll over to the next month.

Rotarians and Interact Club students at Poplar Bluff High School create “a mentor moment” by coming to help at the store.

Last year’s attendance was 92.30 percent at Lake Road with a average daily attendance at 95.5 percent.

The Rotarians are “gratefully appreciated,” Weadon said. “When you are at school, you are learning.”

The club also gives a pizza party each month to the class with the highest attendance, Weadon said. The students in each class are learning teamwork to try to earn the party.

The End of the Year Extravagance is from 7 p.m. to midnight and students who have threes (the top grade) across their report cards, 95 percent attendance and zero behavior issues are invited and receive bags with prizes, toys and items to be used in games to be played.

The store has made a huge improvement on when the kids are at school, and Weadon said, “Our MAP scores have gone up.”

Everyone is proud of the big banner the Rotary Club has at the school saying they are the proud sponsors of Lake Road. Weadon credited the club with improving “the culture of our school” by coming out and helping support the school.

While the local Rotary members are pleased the Lake Road students are benefiting, they are also helping others. The club has helped buy computers for the public library, equipment for the Boys & Girls Study Room and scholarships for TRC students.

Club members donate each meeting to Shop with a Hero. This year the donation goal is $2,019. Before each meeting members contribute “happy dollars” for something for which the are happy. If the goal isn’t met, the club treasury fills the gap.

“In addition, our annual dues go to Rotary International which has been instrumental in almost completely eliminating polio world-wide,” said Wood.

Bill Gates has joined them in this mission. Polio is found in a few counties where officials do not allow immunizations. Rotary also sponsors clean water wells in other countries.

Wood said, “The money all goes to a good cause. It goes to a local or international charity.”

Preparing for the annual Spaghetti Day is a two-day project, Wood explained, club members spend the day before the event making the sauce. If you are planning to attend, help out the Rotarians by buying advance tickets so they’ll have some idea how many pots of sauce to cook. Any Rotarian will have tickets, but if you don’t see one call, 573-785-6800 or 573-429-2215 for a ticket.