Community Corner
Rotary Club's Spaghetti Dinner Brings Out Locals
The Ferndale Rotary Club's third annual spaghetti dinner supports local businesses while raising money for a good cause.
hosted its third annual spaghetti dinner on Thursday at . The event was put together to raise money for two worthy causes: the Polio Plus program and scholarships that will be awarded to four lucky high school seniors.
"We give four $2,000 scholarships out," said Amy Roll, Ferndale Rotary Club president. "(Students) get $1,000 for the first semester, and then they have to come back and report to us how they're doing before they get the other $1,000."
Two students from and two from will be chosen to receive the scholarships after Rotary members interview applicants. The winners will be announced May 10.
Find out what's happening in Ferndalewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The goal of the night was made obvious at the door, where it was explained what $10 tickets would fund, but it was hard not to notice that a friendly community atmosphere was in full force. With local businesses , and donating all the food for the night, the feeling of a close-knit community set the tone of the evening.
"Every community function in Ferndale is a worthy cause," said Dean Bach, owner of Dino's Lounge in downtown Ferndale. "It's good to see that this town shows up every time there needs to be a call for action. This is a very, very tight community. ... Ferndale takes care of their own and welcomes others, it makes it a win-win for everybody."
Find out what's happening in Ferndalewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The dinner was accompanied by a silent auction, for which local businesses donated gift cards and homemade baskets. Even Detroit Tigers tickets were up for grabs to the highest bidder.
Earl Sparkman, a six-year Rotary Club member, was excited to see the number of people who attend year after year. "It's going very, very well — in fact, far better than the last ones," said Sparkman, who credited the growth to local involvement.
The Rotary Club meets every Thursday night at , a Ferndale floral shop that is owned and operated by Jerome Raska, the club's vice president. The small group of local people talk over dinner about what the coming weeks will involve, planning community fundraisers and thinking of new ideas on how to give back to the community.
If you're interested in becoming a member, visit the Ferndale Rotary Club's website at www.ferndalerotary.com.
