Franklin Elementary School’s annual spaghetti supper has been a tradition in the community for over a quarter of a century. What initially began as a fundraiser to promote the small school has evolved into an event that locals look forward to every autumn.
This year, the event will take place on Saturday, November 12th from 4:30-7:30, with the supper being served in the school’s gymnasium. The event is non-profit—all funds raised will be filtered back into the school. As per usual, the family-friendly event will also include a Scholastic Book Fair—a percentage of the book sales will be used to purchase books for the school library.
While the teachers are involved in the production of the event, most of the planning is done by the school’s Parent Participation Organization (PPO), a group made up entirely of parents whose children attend the school. Rockburn resident Marie Shewchuk, whose son attends Franklin Elementary, will be serving up her version of a traditional spaghetti supper. “I enjoy this event—as a mother and a caterer, this is my way of giving back,” said Shewchuk, who is also a member of the PPO. “All the parents are involved, and the community really steps forward to make this a wonderful evening.”
Two local apple orchards have stepped in, including Blair’s Apple Orchard, and well as Stevenson’s, to donate their both time and supplies to the cause—translating to a scrumptious apple crisp serving as dessert (takeout will be available for those who can’t make it into the school’s gymnasium for a sit-down meal). The event will also boast a raffle table, laden with generous donations from local businesses.
According to Tamara Stevenson, teacher and assistant, the supper is a community event. “It brings people to the school, and there is a lot of support from people in the area, which comes back to the children.” In the past, funds raised have gone towards subsidizing transportation to events for students and to supporting different programs, as well as to necessary classroom items. Stevenson explains that the school is eager to support as many positive experiences as they can for the children, which is why fundraisers like this Saturday’s spaghetti supper are so important.
