It takes many hands to help

The Christmas Friendship Dinner Planning Committee is busily planning the 17th annual Christmas Friendship Dinner, which is held on Christmas Day at Wasilla High School from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. As is our tradition, there will be no charge for the meal and no donations (other than desserts) will be accepted at the door.

Last year we served approximately 1,200 folks, including delivery of about 200 meals to home-bound people from Chickaloon to Houston. We gave out 250 gift bags to children who came to the dinner. This year, we are planning for 1,500 dinners and 300 gift bags.

As you might imagine, the implementation of a project of this size takes a lot of people and muscle. The hands-on work will start Dec. 20 and end a week later. Tasks such as loading and hauling goods and supplies from storage, shopping for supplies, cooking of turkeys and hams, slicing and dicing of vegetables, cleaning as we go, room set up and decorating, post dinner de-decorating and clean-up….and the list goes on. The Christmas Friendship Dinner is truly a community event. A few dedicated volunteers spearhead the effort and are joined as the day approaches by a small army of workers. All are important. No task is insignificant, whether it is peeling potatoes, assuring that the bathrooms are stocked, decorating, singing, hauling goods, etc. The success of the whole is dependent upon each tiny detail being attended to by willing workers.

We are pleased to report that all the food serving slots are filled. But, that doesn’t mean we don’t still need help on Christmas Day as well as for the activities noted above. If you have volunteered in the past and are willing to do so again, please call Sharon at 373-6477 to confirm your availability and category of interest.

If you haven’t yet had the pleasure of serving with us, please call that same number and find out how you can help.

We are grateful to Marty Metiva and the board of directors of Mat-Su Resource Conservation and Development Council for their having assumed the role of sponsor of record for tax purposes. In addition, a new contributor, Mat-Su Health Foundation, has given a very generous financial grant through Mat-Su RC&D to assist in the purchasing of supplies. The city of Wasilla, Matanuska Telephone Association and Matanuska Valley Federal Credit Union are returning financial donors.

We appreciate the encouragement and support — much of it behind the scenes — on our behalf of George Troxel, Superintendent of Schools; Dwight Probasco, principal, and his staff at Wasilla High School; and the administration and staff of NANA Corporation that enables us to utilize the school for this community event.

The kitchen staff of Meier Lake Conference Center allows us to use their kitchens for a massive effort to cook 50 turkeys and 40 hams in just a short while. Thank you.

All three Curves entities — Palmer, Wasilla and Houston/Big Lake — have taken on the task of gathering turkeys and hams, other food items and funds for gift bags. We are extremely thankful to the owners and ladies there for their ongoing efforts on our behalf.

In addition to these large corporate donors, we are thankful to each person who gives in any way, whether it is a small check, a donation of time and energy, or prayer.

Elsie M. O’Bryan is chairperson of the Christmas Friendship Dinner Committee.