38 years of sharing a merry meal

By Gillian Slade on December 13, 2018.

gslade@medicinehatnews.com @MHNGillianSlade

A 38-year tradition of serving a free hot Christmas dinner for those alone on Christmas day continues, thanks to local Kiwanis clubs and generous businesses.

The inaugural event took place in 1980 at a private residence with eight guests. Last year 268 meals were served to guests and volunteers, said John John, one of the Kiwanis organizers.

Preparations begin on Christmas Eve with volunteers setting up tables at the Cypress Centre.

Medicine Hat Lodge cooks the turkeys, purchased by Kiwanis clubs, and also takes care of the gravy and stuffing. They are ready for pickup by 10 a.m. Christmas Day, says John.

Meanwhile from 9 a.m. the kitchen and some of the staff from Shooting Star Events at the Cypress Centre, thanks to owner Stan Sakamoto, are busy preparing vegetables, salads and all the other trimmings for the meal. Co-op donates the ingredients.

Redcliff Bakery donates pies for dessert and delivers them to the site on Christmas Day, said John. Nutters donates treats placed in “goodie bags” for guests to take home.

“We are really very fortunate that Medicine Hat Exhibition and Stampede does not charge us anything (for the use of their building),” said John.

A person from each of the three Kiwanis Clubs is appointed to make all the arrangements, says Ken Sauer, who himself has been volunteering at the event for the past 30 years, often acting as the emcee.

Guests start arriving by 11 a.m. For those without transportation there are about 30 volunteers who provide rides.

Bill desBarres and company, Betty & Bill Twin Piano Stylings, ensure there is live music to complement the festive occasion.

To ensure it all runs smoothly, preparations start well ahead with posters and application forms distributed to 100 locations across the city, said John. Anyone alone at Christmas is invited to fill out a form and submit it for the free event. This year the cutoff date was Dec. 14.

Dinner is served at noon and there are always enough volunteers to wait on guests at the tables. Last year there were a total of 70 volunteers, said John.

Volunteers welcome guests, take their coats and make them feel welcome, said Sauer. Many volunteers return each year making lasting connections with guests who have been attending for years.

After the Veiner Centre was flooded in 2013, the event moved to the Cypress Centre. This location has proved so ideal there are no plans to change that, said John.

“We consider this is a big honour for us to do it for the people who are lonely,” said John.

17
-16