Hundreds of people gathered at the Community Center for the 33rd annual Wimberley Community Thanksgiving Dinner last week. Organized by long-time Wimberley resident Dave Lewis, the dinner brought together volunteers from different walks of life to serve their neighbors in a traditional ritual of gratitude.
Guests began streaming in at 11 a.m. and by noon, volunteers at the greeting table – Ruth Mince, Mary Jo Carman and Pat Rehmet – said they’d accepted donations from approximately 200 people. Other donations were collected at Ozona Bank.
Preparations began the day before as tables were dressed in autumn decor. Cooks arrived at 7 a.m. Thanksgiving day to keep warm more than 270 pounds of turkey and to bake dressing, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole and rolls, as well as to dish up the traditional gravy and cranberry sauce. Pumpkin pie and pecan cobbler rounded out the meal for anyone with room to spare from the generous meal. Organizers thanked Kelly’s BBQ for smoking the turkeys prior to their arrival at the feast. An army of cheerful volunteers roamed the tables refreshing tea and water and picking up plates. Many dinners were packaged for delivery to people who were not able to attend who received them with the help of volunteer drivers. A total of 571 dinners were served.
