Christmas Friendship Dinner moves to drive-thru model

WASILLA — The annual Christmas Friendship Dinner at the Menard Sports Center moved to a drive-thru model with no indoor eating and entertainment this year to accommodate social distancing amid the continuous rise of COVID-19 cases.

“In spite of the Grinch called COVID, the Christmas Friendship Dinner is a go,” Christmas Friendship Dinner steering committee chair Justin Giles said.

The Friendship Dinner was founded and continues to be operated by the Christmas Friendship Dinner steering committee, an independently operating group of community-minded volunteers blanketed under the Mat-Su Food Bank, according to Giles.

“It’s our event but we work closely with other organizations,” Giles said.

According to Giles, the steering committee voted to make the event more socially distant this year. He said they followed examples like Frontline Mission’s Thanksgiving dinner, a similar community event also held at the Menard Center that was switched to drive-thru only for the same reason. The group will serve meals in the drive-thru format on Christmas Day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

All the food is provided free of charge with one goal in mind, to share the holiday experience with others. Giles said the social component is an integral part of the event, but that’s been limited to ensure everyone’s safety.

He noted that they’ll be handing out gift bags, and Santa Claus will still be there to wave at ongoers as music from a mobile DJ booth plays in the background. He said they’ll have holiday lights up and they’re inviting attendees to decorate their vehicles to make the event more festive.

“Kinda boring but it’s the best we can do,” Giles said.

According to Giles, this large scale event normally has anywhere between 500 and 600 volunteers, but they had to limit the roster this year to no more than 100 volunteers cycling through.

“We’re running a real tight ship this year... to keep the numbers down,” Giles said.

Despite the limited volunteer maximum, Giles noted that they’re still volunteers to help out with the event, particularly with meal delivery since they’re expecting a larger demand for that service this year. He said they’re preparing to deliver upwards of 500 meals, so they’ll need a lot of drivers.

“Less than normal but we still need them,” Giles said.

Giles said that they’re expecting to serve between 4,500 and 5,000 people this year, which has their average rate over the years. He said the meals contain classic Christmas items like turkey and potatoes with pie and other treats for dessert.

“It’ll be a good meal,” Giles said.

According to Giles, they’re serving about two tons of turkey, 800 pounds of carrots and 1,000 pounds of potatoes this year. He said they raise money through grants and donations from the community throughout the year, collaborating with local restaurants and distribution companies for food shipments. He said they normally hold fundraising events, but those were cancelled.

“Things were close. We’re gonna use most of the money we have… but we’re gonna be just fine,” Giles said.

Giles noted that they’re still seeking pies from local churches and community members. He said that even store bought pies would be helpful. He said they try to feed as many people as they can each year.

“There’s usually not a lot left over,” Giles said. “There’s a lot of families out there laid off and lost jobs and lost businesses. Things are bad this year… We’re doing what we can.”

For more information, visit the Christmas Friendship Dinner Facebook Page or call 907-354-6115.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com