MARYSVILLE — The Marysville Kiwanis Club is turning last year’s Kenneth J. Ploeger Kiwanis Memorial Scholarship Concert into an annual event.

Marysville Kiwanis Concert Coordinator Penelope Ploeger, Ken’s widow, reported that last year’s concert drew as many as 100 attendees and netted proceeds of $150. Ploeger was pleased to be able to raise some funds for the scholarship fund in honor of her late husband, a longtime dedicated Kiwanian, retired Navy electronics technician and city of Marysville employee who believed in the value of scholarships for students entering a vocational trade or career.

“Ken was a submariner for 20-some-odd years who came to Washington to work in the private sector,” Ploeger said. “When he passed away in 2007, our friends from the Kiwanis Club, the school district, the city of Marysville and Advanced Traffic Products were very generous. I didn’t feel it was ethical to keep all that money, so I thought about how Ken would have wanted to donate it back to the community. He was very committed to helping young people become contributing citizens in our community, while reaching their own personal goals. I felt we could showcase some of the talented young people in our community, while raising money to give scholarships in his honor.”

To that end, the memorial scholarship concert is set to return to the Marysville-Pilchuck High School auditorium this year on March 18, starting at 7 p.m. As before, the M-PHS Jazz Band will perform to help raise money for the scholarship fund, which is intended to aid community-minded high school seniors in receiving technical training at a community college or starting a degree. This year will also mark the debut appearances of the 10th Street School and Eastern Washington jazz bands at the concert.

Every year, the local Kiwanis Club and Soroptomist Chapter grant several college scholarships to students who have been named their “Boys and Girls of the Month.” Ploeger reported that two scholarships have already been awarded from the memorial fun in her late husband’s name, one of whom was Maribel Montes.

“Thank you so much,” Montes told Ploeger at last year’s concert. “I appreciate all the time, money and effort that you and the Kiwanians have put into Marysville, and I can only hope someday to make contributions to this community like your husband did.”

Tickets for this year’s concert are $10 for adults, $5 for children and $15 for families, regardless of how many children they have. Donations of canned foods or other non-perishable food items for the Marysville Community Food Bank would be appreciated.

For more information, call 360-653-3646.