Sixth annual Thanksgiving brings community together at Odd Fellows Hall
Most said they came for the sense of community. A few also admitted it was a lot easier to bring one dish then create the whole meal. Regardless of the whys, they came in record numbers to the 6th Annual Community Thanksgiving at the Odd Fellows Hall.
The dinner is organized and planned each year by Monique and Bill Gincig and the Odd Fellows. “We do it for the community. It’s for everyone,” said Monique. “This is a very nice community. I feel very emotional about it. This community is worth making an effort for.”
“Monique is our Goddess of Thanksgiving,” Odd Fellow Barry Neville, said of the organizer. The Gincigs and the Odd Fellows spend a week moving in the the tables and chairs and decorating the hall. Cooking starts the day before.
With tables set for 200 under the shimmering silver ceiling decorations, the hall filled up quickly. The guests started arriving at a little after 4 p.m. for the 4:30 p.m. event and within 20 minutes all the tables were taken and two more tables had to be brought in to accommodate the crowd.
For some it was the second, third or other repeat year. For others, it was the very first. “I’ve lived here 34 years and this is the first time for me. My sister and I just got tired of telling everyone to get out of the kitchen when we were cooking dinner,” said Kate Carter.
They arrived with cornbread stuffing, fluffy mashed potatoes, baked stuffed sweet potatoes, brown sugar glazed carrots, red cabbage with apples, broccoli/cheese dishes, creamed peas and onions, green salads and pumpkin, apple, pecan pear pies and so many other side dishes.
The turkeys were ready, their scent filling the air. Once again, Monique and Bill Gincig and the Odd Fellows planned and pulled off a masterful affair.
The cooks had been in the kitchen since 9 a.m. preparing all 12 turkeys. An hour before, they had been up to their elbows in turkey parts, stuffing and gravy as they prepared the platters and boats. As their guests arrived, the first part of the work was done and they all looked tired but happy.
“We will have a bite here and there but it is more fun to watch everyone else,” Bill said of his and Monique’s own Thanksgiving dinner.
