By Sarrah Peters, News Editor
The CommUnity Thanksgiving Celebration planning committee is already gearing up for its November 23 event.
This is the 19th year the CommUnity Thanksgiving has been held. The event started at New Liberty Tabernacle of Praise in 1998. Every year the event has grown larger. Last year, about 5,000 people ate a free Thanksgiving meal provided by the event.
The CommUnity Thanksgiving Celebration offers three options for dining. In addition to offering a dine-in option at Convention Hall, plates are also available for take-out and delivery.
Behind the scenes, the Thanksgiving dinner takes a lot of preparation. The planning committee has already ordered the food which includes 325 cakes, 165 pans of dressing and about 100 turkeys, totaling over 1000 pounds.
The cost of food is about $8500, and the committee is currently trying to garner donations. The committee encourages community members to support the event through donations, because every little bit makes the event a success. A $25 donation can feed about four families, and a donation of only $10 can provide four meals.
There are several avenues to donate: through Paypal at paypal.me/commthanks, by texting 41444 and following the link sent in response and through United Way, by visiting the organization at 235 South College Street in Gadsden or by mailing the donation to P.O. Box 1175, Gadsden, AL, 35902.
The CommUnity Thanksgiving Celebration is run through volunteer work.The dinner has a strong volunteer response, but is still in need of volunteer’s with specific skill sets. The majority of volunteers sign up to work the Thursday of the event, but food preparation takes place the Tuesday and Wednesday before the event. The planning committee is searching for volunteers with kitchen experience in order to reduce waste and increase efficiency.
For more information or to volunteer, visit the CommUnity Thanksgiving Celebration Facebook page or call 256-546-4357 and enter zip code 35901.