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Riverhead Fire Department’s Drill Team cooks up the sauce at spaghetti dinner fundraiser

BARBARAELLEN KOCH PHOTO | Ironman Drill Team's Brian Cybulski stirs up the tomato sauce.

Riverhead Fire Department’s Ironmen Drill Team held its 3rd annual Spaghetti Dinner fundraiser at the Roanoke Avenue Fire Station Saturday afternoon from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. The event helps offsets the team’s expenses.

The Ironmen Motorized Drill Team dates back to 1935. Before it was founded, each company had its own team dating back to 1887. Currently there are 15 members on the team and they have 80 alumni.

This year’s competition date is July 21.

The Ironman were in the kitchen Saturday afternoon cooking up 25 gallons of meat sauce, 8 gallons of vegetable sauce, making salad and cutting up bread donated by Panera Bread. The Ironmen used a  sauce recipe from bucket brigade “hoister” John Tradeski’s wife Shelia and his mother.

He said the secret to the sauce is that it is a little sweeter because it is made with sweet onions and sweet red peppers and seasoned with garlic, oregano and basil.

By 4 p.m., the team had already cooked up 60 pounds of pasta and everyone was hoping to serve at least 200 guests.

Ironmen captain Kyle Watts and assistant captain Mike Argenti thanked everyone in advance for their support and are looking forward to a good season.