Senior Center Raises Money
The Southwest City Senior Center was standing-room only during the annual Spaghetti Dinner and Dessert Auction on Saturday, Oct. 19.
The Southwest City Senior Center was standingroom only during the annual Spaghetti Dinner and Dessert Auction on Saturday, Oct. 19. The event raised more than $5,400 for the facility, which has been persevering despite an unsure fate.
Director Melissa Lance said more than 150 dinners were served and more than 70 desserts were up for bid.
Spaghetti was made by dedicated volunteers with salad, dressing and bread provided by Olive Garden. Assorted sweets were homemade and donated by local bakers. Tried and true recipes such as pumpkin bread, cinnamon rolls and coconut creme pies were available alongside more unconventional flavors such as persimmon black walnut cookies, caramel pumpkin sheet cake, and banana-flavored Rice Crispy treats.
Competition grew tense for a number of beloved desserts from familiar kitchens, with prices soaring to over $100 for a plate, but each treat found a hungry home for a good cause.
Between rounds of bidding, local musician and songwriter John Spurling took over the mic to entertain the audience with country and folk covers, as well as a few original pieces such as “Missouri Beer.” The song recounts a run-in with Oklahoma law enforcement after a few brews and a cruise down an old dirt road with friends. This storyline holds unspoken meaning for those who grew up in the area.
For those that don’t know, Oklahoma beer is notoriously weaker than that of Missouri — and Southwest City rests just on the border of the two states.
Throughout the evening, guests could be seen milling through the crowd to check the current bids on silent auction items. A child’s bicycle, a custom oil paint portrait, one-of-a-kind afghans, locally made knives and sheaths, and trimmings from the center’s prominent plant population were all up for grabs.