Thanksgiving: Time to share turkey and gratitude
Polson Community Thanksgiving Dinner volunteers James Lapotka and David Graham hand out portable Thanksgiving dinners at last year's free feast, staged at the Mission Valley Elks Lodge on Main Street. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)
Thanksgiving is a week away and scores of volunteers across Lake County are preparing turkeys and all the glorious amendments for free holiday meals served in Polson, Ronan and St. Ignatius.
Last year, crews prepared 56 turkeys for Polson’s Community Thanksgiving Dinner, along with more than 25 trays filled with dressing and green-bean casserole. The Mission Valley Elks on Main Street is the staging area for “a well-oiled assembly line that would make Henry Ford proud.”
Dinner is available for pickup or delivery only from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Nov. 28. Call the "turkey hotline" at 406-493-7556 for reservations.
In Ronan, a volunteer crew led by Brandy Chisholm will begin peeling copious quantities of potatoes next Wednesday, while accepting donations of pies and rolls, and setting up tables at the Ronan Community Center.
Meanwhile, turkeys are roasting in ovens all over town for the annual sit-down dinner, served 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Pie donations may also be dropped off at Ronan Valley Bank or Ronan Glacier Bank.
Volunteers are still needed; call Brandy at 406-250-8808 to lend a hand.
St. Ignatius is also hosting a Thanksgiving dinner from noon-2 p.m. Nov. 28 at the Senior Center. Drive by and pick up a meal or enjoy a sit-down dinner in the center.
“All are invited for a home-cooked meal," says organizer Kimimi Ashley, who notes that meals may also be picked up and delivered to someone elderly, sick or in need. Call 406-273-8203 for details.