Plates overflow in Ronan

RONAN — More than 100 volunteers put the “giving” back in Thanksgiving during last Thursday’s Ronan Community Thanksgiving Dinner at the Community Center.

Baking, cooking, basting and decorating were just some of the duties performed by volunteers to help serve about 260 community members who came to enjoy a free dinner with friends and neighbors.

“We get a lot of enjoyment out of serving people, but we also get enjoyment out of seeing people volunteer,” Adina Fuchs, of Ronan Community Volunteers, said.

Volunteers were so plentiful, Fuchs said, that a few days before Thanksgiving, people offering to volunteer at the event were being turned down.

“We told them to come to dinner, but we didn’t need any more people,” she said.

The event is held annually by Ronan Community Volunteers, a group that teamed up with the Ronan Area Chamber of Commerce for the first time this fall to put together the gathering. Teaming with the Chamber, Ronan Community Volunteers’ Cheri Houle said, gave the group added manpower and helped spread out the various duties in preparing for the feast.

She said Ky Bartel and Diana Grant helped decorate the community center, while other community members donated money or supplies, including their kitchens to cook parts of the meal.

“A lot of the volunteers come back year after year,” Houle said, adding that many find a certain job they perform each time. “Those things make our hearts just sing.”

Houle said 22 turkeys were donated, ranging in size from 16 to 25 pounds. In addition to the traditional Thanksgiving bird, 100 pounds of potatoes, two cases of cranberry sauce, green beans, sweet potatoes, salad and stuffing helped satiate the hungry crowd. And don’t forget the pie: 22 total desserts, including apple, pumpkin and the popular chocolate chip.

The 260 people served was actually down from last year, Fuchs said, yet a steady stream of folks throughout the four hour event made for a calmer atmosphere.

“During previous years, everyone showed up around 11 or 12,” Fuchs said, noting that this is the 6th annual event. “This year we still had people showing up at 2:45.”

The event began with a blessing by community member Joe McDonald. Then, the feed was on. Spurred on by music of A Goin’ Concern, the Romero family and Logan Bonner on the accordion throughout the day (all volunteers, mind you), people ate and chatted, enjoying the ambiance of a real community dinner.

“It was a relaxed setting,” Fuchs said. “People sat and visited, and enjoyed listening to the music.”

As impressive as the amount of people volunteering was, so too were the different ages of the helpers.  Nine-year old Sierra Esslinger, of St. Ignatius, and 10-year old Maquel Larson, of Ravensdale, Wash., chipped in by cutting and serving pies. Other youngsters helped serve juice, wipe down tables and bring plates of food to the tables for older individuals.

“It was fun for the families to bring their children,” Fuchs said. “They helped out volunteering, and serving desserts.” Houle heard similar sentiments from people at the event: “The parents always comment that they bring the children so they know about volunteering, and that volunteering makes a community.”

That volunteer spirit was what made this Thanksgiving such a special day in Ronan.

“The whole community and the outpouring of support was amazing,” Fuchs said.