JACKSON CENTER — It started as just an idea formed by Kay and Dave Detrick.
The Jackson Center residents thought, what if the community held a Thanksgiving Dinner for people who can’t afford their own meal, or don’t have family to spend the holiday with.
“We went around to the area churches and they loved the idea,” Kay said. “They were so very generous.”
Seven Jackson Center-area churches signed on to bring food to a Community Thanksgiving Meal at the Jackson Center American Legion.
Now in it’s third year, the hard-working volunteers spend all day Saturday before the meal on Sunday, the weekend before Thanksgiving, prepping the food. The men who cut up the turkeys, Kay calls the unsung heroes.
Each year they prepare dinner for 500 people, in 2015 they ended up serving 512.
“I had each church bringing three turkeys to be cooked and cut up, and 80 pies to be sliced,” Kay said. “It’s a real joint effort.”
The dinner is completely free, but donations are accepted. Any donations gathered are donated to the We Care Fund and the Fish Pond Food Pantry.
The Jackson Center Show Choirs were on hand to provide entertainment as the community sat down for a meal together.