Community comes together for holiday events

WASILLA — Wasilla continues its quarter-century-old festive Christmas tradition with the annual Christmas Friendship Dinner, held this year on Sunday, Dec. 25 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center.

A local bagpipe group kicks off the festivities at 11 a.m. with a rendition of "Amazing Grace," and live music continues through the event, with space provided for open-mic style performances for those who feel moved by the Christmas spirit.

"It's really very intense," said event chair Kate Thoden. "If someone wants to get up on stage and do a song or a prayer or a poem, we allow them to do that."

In what is possibly the state's largest community Christmas celebration, the dinner is expected to serve nearly 4,000 this year, with 600 of those meals being delivered to members of the Mat-Su Valley who are homebound. Volunteers also expect to transport some 190 people from their homes to the event and back.

All told, that's a dinner involving 100 turkeys, 100 hams, 1,000 pounds of potatoes, 150 pounds of carrots, and various fixings in similar proportion. Between 600 and 700 volunteers work together to put on the event, including 50 to 60 core volunteers who work year-round in preparation for it. Twenty committees handle everything from Santa and his Elves and Candyland, creating a map and organizing drivers to deliver meals to the homebound, kitchen staff, and receiving food for the event, all of which is donated by the community.

But, Thoden said, if there were only one meal to be had for sharing and good cheer, that would be enough.

"The biggest thing is sharing the intangibles," she said. "Joy, hope, and fellowship. The most important thing is connecting, enjoying each other and stopping to listen."

All are welcome to attend this annual free event, she said, and volunteers are still needed and welcome. All a volunteers has to do is show up at the Menard Center; they'll be working on the dinner prep, serving and clean-up Dec. 23 through 26, from 7:30 a.m. until late in the day.

Donations are also welcome; small toys and gift bags are handed out to children at the event. For more information on how to sign up for a meal delivery or transportation for a homebound community member, go to www.christmasfriendshipdinner.org. Members of the public may also call or text for information or volunteer opportunities, at 907-354-6115, or email matsufoodbank@gmail.com.

For a little pre-Christmas fun, families can also check out the annual Christmas on the Farm event at the Reindeer Farm in the Butte. On Friday, Dec. 23 and Saturday, Dec. 24, Christmas on the Farm is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with admission of $8 for people three years old and up. The event includes a visit with Santa, Reindeer tour, indoor snowball fight, wagon ride, bonfire, crafts for kids, reindeer train and the reindeer sled rides. For more information, go to www.reindeerfarm.com.