Waylon Appel is grateful -- grateful for things that have been given to him so that he in turn can give back to others.
This year, he is giving back to others by overseeing the free Thanksgiving dinner that will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day at the First United Methodist Church, 1111 Downs.
Volunteer cooks will begin preparing the food Wednesday at 9 a.m. and continue until it is ready.
“Our biggest chore is going to be deboning 14 22-pound turkeys,” Appel said of the preparations that will soon be under way.
“If we have any turkey left over, I guess we can make turkey enchiladas,” he said.
Besides turkey, the church will serve dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, rolls and sweet potato casserole. Dessert will also be served.
“Ladies of the church are bringing salads and pies,” he said.
Appel doesn’t know how many cooks will be working in the kitchen in preparation for the event, but he and his church member volunteers plan on serving 400 people this year.
“That’s about 50 more than we usually have,” he said. “We don’t really know what to expect with the economy the way it is. The Catholic Church served 650 and theirs was paid for. If 400 isn’t enough, I guess we’ll have to shut the doors.”
Through the meal the church hopes to provide for families and those who are alone, he said.
“We also deliver to people who are shut in,” he said. “The (church) youth and adults help deliver.”
This is Appel’s first year to oversee preparation of the dinner.
“Nancy Bolin (a church member) had previously overseen it,” he said, “but this year she was unable to because of her health.”
The church does this as one of the things they want to do for community service, he said, noting this is the 13th year for the free Thanksgiving dinner.
People who can’t get to the Thanksgiving Day dinner but would like to receive a delivered meal may call the church at (580) 256-5515.
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