For the 15th consecutive year, friends, neighbors, families and strangers will gather to enjoy turkey and all the trimmings at the Community Thanksgiving Dinner in Powell. The holiday meal will be served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday at the Park County Fairgrounds Bicentennial Hall.

Residents sometimes mistakenly think the dinner is available only to low-income residents, but that’s not the case.

The community dinner is open to everyone, said Dr. Mike Tracy, who is helping organize the annual holiday event.

The free meal will include turkey with gravy and cranberries, mashed and sweet potatoes, assorted salads, breads, side dishes and pie. Often, folks want to pay for the dinner, and free-will donations are accepted. Money will go toward the Heart Mountain Volunteer Free Clinic and the Christmas Basket Program.

Organizers encourage anyone who is not attending a private family gathering to join the Thanksgiving meal.

Take-out meals also will be delivered for folks who can’t make it to the fairgrounds, and a complimentary shuttle service is offered to transport people who want to attend the dinner so they can choose their own meal items and participate in community fellowship on this special day.

Continuing cooperation and dedication from local churches and individuals make the dinner possible each year. First Baptist Church is overseeing the dinner this year.

The first Community Thanksgiving Dinner was hosted by the United Methodist Church in 1999. Approximately 100 people attended the first dinner, and it has continued to grow over the years.

Prep work will begin Wednesday at the fairgrounds. Also on Wednesday, the Powell Ministerial Association will host a Community Thanksgiving Eve service at the fairgrounds at 7 p.m. 

For more information about the Community Thanksgiving Dinner or to request a ride or a take-out meal, call First Baptist Church at 754-3639.

— Tessa Schweigert