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The hall is gone, dinner lives on
Volunteers mark 25 years of community Thanksgiving dinner
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FarkRAPID CITY - When the Knights of Columbus Hall closed its doors at 910 Fifth St., its members didn’t shut down its annual Thanksgiving Day dinner.
This year, the Knights of Columbus and Our Lady of Perpetual Help Council 1489 will celebrate the 25th Annual Thanksgiving Dinner in the dining area of St. Elizabeth Seton School, at the corner of Fairmont and Fifth streets.
From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 22, hundreds of volunteers will descend upon St. Elizabeth’s to serve a free traditional Thanksgiving dinner with all the fixings. The classic meal will include turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, corn, gravy, rolls, cranberries and pie all with a cup of coffee, milk or soft drink for the 1,300 people who typically arrive to give thanks, roll up their sleeves and feast.
Sharing duties in organizing the dinner are Don Skinner, John Janssen and Del Solano. But they quickly give credit to the 131 men, women, teenagers and children who through a variety of activities create a day that is truly blessed in friendship.
“It’s all volunteers who do this,” Skinner said.
Knights of Columbus members from as far away as Missouri and Wyoming as well as Spearfish, Hot Springs, Sturgis, Deadwood and Rapid City volunteer to cook, set up, serve, clear and clean up the building and even baby sit.
Joining their ranks are Retired Senior Volunteers Program members, Boys and Girls Scouts, high school and youth groups as well as the honor societies at Central and Stevens high schools.
“The RSVP members deliver 300 meals to shut-ins and those who have no way to get here,” Skinner said.
Led by Tom Bommersbach, whose organizational and cooking skills have helped the kitchen staff for the last 23 years, 22 volunteers will man the six convection ovens and two ranges beginning on Tuesday to start cooking the 24 cases of turkey roasts.
Food preparation begins in earnest on Wednesday, cutting up 50 pounds of onions and 40 pounds of celery for the stuffing, taking delivery of 1,200 dinner rolls and cutting more than 140 pies into eight individual pieces. Cooking the corn, setting up the butter for the rolls and creating gravy keeps the crew hopping. For all of its intensity, there’s fun, too.
“They work like crazy. When everything is in the oven or on the stove, they’ll sit down and play some cards,” Skinner said. “It can’t be all work and no play.”
Skinner also appreciates all of the businesses, groups and organizations that pitch in with in-kind donations or money to fund a first-class dinner, but also to create an event of caring. From the tables’ centerpieces and decorations to the disposable plates and utensils, it has all made a difference to those taking part in the meal, Skinner said.
“It’s such a great community effort to share with those people who may be down on their luck or lost a loved one or just families,” he said.
It’s the opportunity to sit down at a table, have someone wait on them for a change and let them know we’re all one family, Skinner said.
“It’s for everyone,” he added.
Meal delivery
For those who are homebound, reservations for the 25th Annual Thanksgiving Dinner delivery must be made by 5 p.m. Nov. 19. For meal delivery reservations, call Angie at 394-2507.
Contact Jomay Steen at 394-8418 or jomay.steen@rapidcityjournal.com.
Volunteers form an assembly line to serve Thanksgiving dinner at the old Knights of Columbus Hall. This year, the feast will be held at St. Elizabeth Seton School. (Journal file photo)
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