The Key Peninsula Business Association is a non-profit organization of leading businesses, organizations, and individuals of the Key Peninsula. Their goal is to promote, create, and maintain economic vitality by pooling together the various resources of over 80 different businesses and individuals. Every year the Key Peninsula Business Association awards three $1,000 scholarships to seniors in the Peninsula School District who are interested in becoming entrepreneurs or business owners.

On Monday, September 19th, the Key Peninsula Business Association hosted their annual Membership Dinner at the Key Peninsula Civic Center after having to postpone it for three years due to Covid-19. Scouts from Troop 220, James Smith, Dominick Meeker, and Faith Smith, as well as a lone member of the PHS Kiwanis Key Club, Adelaide Chuhran, helped bus tables and washed dishes throughout the event, in addition to helping clean up afterward. “The scouts have helped at events before. I’m really glad [they] could come, [the scouts] saved me,” said Gina Cabiddu, the event organizer and president of the Key Peninsula Business Association.

At 5:30, guests started arriving, and by 6:00, dinner was underway. After a short welcoming speech given by Gina Cabiddu, the guests were excused to the buffet which was provided by Snuffins Catering. As the guests finished their meal the winners of the silent auction were announced. Once all the dinner dishes were cleared from the tables the bidding for the desserts began. All the money raised during the silent auction and dessert dash was given to the Key Peninsula Business Association Student Scholarship fund. The total amount raised during the event was over $1,000.

Silent auction sponsors: Susan Paganelli, Congressman Derek Kilmer, Superintendent Kristen Barr, Carolyn Wiley, Haven Beauty Lab, Key Peninsula News, Legacy Gutters, Jerry “Santa” Nebel, Honey-Do

Dessert Dash sponsors: Susan Paganelli, Gina Cabiddu, Edale Clark, Snuffins Catering