Dinner Is Served

The weather outside was a bit frightful, but the feast inside was delightful. After the morning's freezing rain melted, 170 plates of traditional holiday meals were served at the 24th annual Valley County Thanksgiving Day Dinner.

A melting pot of folks representing this community's diversity – the needy and the fortunate, those with family here and those without, the old and the young – gathered at the Glasgow Senior Citizens Center in the American holiday's true spirit. The meals were free, the effort appreciated.

"It's a great demonstration of what a group of people can do for others," said Glasgow retiree Ron Watson, who enjoyed the event for his third time. "A lot of people don't have anything else to do on Thanksgiving, and this was very good. It was very well done. I think Ruth Ann does a nice job of starting it off."

Founding organizer Ruth Ann Hutcheson welcomed her dinner guests with introductory remarks sprinkled with Thanksgiving fun and trivia before she and her team of 35 volunteers went about sharing the bounty of donated, home cooked food – a turkey dinner with all the trimmings.

This year's 170 plates served from noon to 2 p.m. approached the annual average of 175 to 225 despite the weather. About 4,000 people have now enjoyed the event over its 24 years.

"I think the people who volunteer enjoy themselves, and for some who participate, they enjoy themselves," Hutcheson told The Courier. "I don't do this for a pat on the back. I do this for the community."

Volunteers included members of the Glasgow High School Student Council, Boy Scouts and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, among others from various walks of life. The Rev. Jay Ashbaucher of the Glasgow Evangelical Church provided the pre-meal prayer.

Among the youngest on hand was pumpkin pie fan Layla Lonebear, all 1 year and 5 months of her.

It was a nice family outing for the little girl and her parents, Michelle Bernal and Timothy Grandchamp. This was their second year at the dinner after hearing about it from Layla's grandmother, Bridget Lonebear, a senior center cook.

"This is for them," Bernal said with a smile, giving a reason why her family attended. "They eat all the time."

She and Grandchamp will be back – way before next year's 25th annual Thanksgiving festivities – and with giving hearts. They plan on volunteering at the senior center's Christmas party this month.