By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

The Community Thanksgiving Day Feast in Hays is a 20-year tradition, started by Florence Wear and her family at the Corner Garden restaurant.

The past seven years, the Ellis County Ministerial Alliance has organized the free event with help from lots of volunteers and donors, according to Pastor Kyle Ermoian of Celebration Community Church.

“Last year we moved the dinner to the Rose Garden Banquet Hall for the first time. It had been held for many years in the National Guard Armory,” Ermoian explained.

“It was a beautiful room and a great success, so successful that this year we’ll open both rooms in the banquet hall for our guests. “We expected 300 guests and 100 volunteers last year. We served 617 meals, both in the Rose Garden hall and those that were delivered to the homebound.”

“It was a great success and we’re going to do it again this year,” promised Ermoian with a smile.

The ACCESS van will offer free transportation for those who need it. The Community Thanksgiving Day Feast starts at noon, Nov. 27, with turkey and all the trimmings, plus dessert.

Anyone wanting to volunteer to help should call First Call For Help at (785) 623-2800.

The Thanksgiving dinner donors include Eagle Communications, Hays Med, Rose Garden Steak Haus & Catering, Hays Daily News, Great Plains Dermatology, Hays Area Chamber of Commerce, Hays Lions Club, First Call for Help, ACCESS Transportation, Ellis County Abstract and Title Co., Inc., United Way and Via Christi Village, Hays.

Tax-deductible donations may be mailed to ECMA, P.O. Box 173, Hays, Kansas 67601. Proceeds will benefit the ECMA “2nd Mile Fund.”