The crowd at the 2017 Boys and Girls Club Thanksgiving dinner. (Photo submitted)
WESTFIELD- The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Westfield will hold its 27th annual Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, Nov. 15 in the club’s gymnasium.
The dinner, which begins at 5:30 p.m., is open to all club members and their families.
“We probably have a good 40 people helping to serve the kids,” says Lerryn Godden, Finance director for the Boys and Girls Club, “they get a full thanksgiving dinner of turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, carrots and dessert.”
Boys and Girls Club members being served at the 26th annual Thanksgiving dinner in 2017. (Photo submitted)
Leading up to the dinner, donations of frozen turkeys are made by the public. On the Monday prior to the dinner, the turkeys are sent to Tekoa Country Club to be prepared.
Westfield Technical Academy will prepare 150 pounds of potatoes, which are donated by Ray’s Family farm alongside 50 pounds of carrots. Hood will donate milk to the club for the dinner.
Every year, there is an estimated turnout of 500 people throughout the night, and everything they eat will have been donated.
“There is nothing that we go out and buy,” says Godden, “if we need it, we use the donated gift cards to go buy it.”
In 2017, there were 22 Turkeys prepared for the dinner and an estimated 40 that had been donated. The leftover turkeys are donated to food insecure families as part of a meal basket. Last year, 10 had been given out on Thanksgiving and the remaining 8 were given out on Christmas.
“The basket will include a turkey, 10 pounds of potatoes, butter, and vegetables,” says Godden, “we try to make sure that everybody has access to a good meal.”
People who would like to volunteer are asked to speak with Kellie Brown or Lerryn Godden.
