by Andrew Rothfusz

Every year at the end of Jan. or the beginning of Feb., community members from Atlantic and surrounding areas make their way to the Atlantic High School, each holding a small blue paper ticket in their hand.  As they enter the building, they are greeted with the smell of meat sauce and the sounds of hundreds of people talking to those seated with them.  Each attendant has one of three things on their mind: supporting the AHS Trojan Guard, Italian food, or both.

This year’s Annual Atlantic Band Department Spaghetti Supper took place on Thursday, Jan. 29 in the Atlantic High School Commons area.  The Spaghetti Supper, which started over 30 years ago as a general fundraiser for the Atlantic Band Department, is now put on yearly by the Atlantic band directors and the members of the Trojan Guard as a way to raise money for the quadrennial cross-country band trip.

Every year towards the beginning of the second semester, band students from sixth grade to seniors get envelopes containing tickets to the supper. “All students start off with 30 tickets to sell,” said senior Mark Stinn, a longtime member of the Atlantic Band Department. “For every ticket sold, the student who sold it gets a good portion of the ticket money, which goes into their fund for the next band trip that they are eligible for.” According to Stinn, adult tickets were sold for $6.00 and children’s tickets were $4.00.

However, according to current AHS band director Jarrod O’Donnell, if students wanted to think a little bigger than selling tickets to their friends and family, there was an alternative method to fundraise through the supper: selling Patron Tickets.  “We go around to businesses and ask them to sponsor the Spaghetti Supper.  If they say yes, they pay us $40 and get a sign to hang up in their window,” said O’Donnell.

The names of the participating businesses are then recorded and put on the placemats used at the supper, as a way of publicizing the particular businesses’ support of the ACSD Band Department. According to O’Donnell, this year just over 80 businesses signed up to be patrons.