LIHU‘E — Entertainment for the annual Salvation Army Community Thanksgiving Luncheon starts at 10 a.m. today at the Kaua‘i War Memorial Convention Hall, said Katie Beer, president of the Salvation Army board.
A similar lunch for Westside people will take place at the Salvation Army, Hanapepe Corps’ Community Center.
Preparation for the annual community meal in which more than a thousand meals will be served started Tuesday with volunteers scrambling to get things in order.
“Major Mario Reyes will be arriving with the pumpkin crunch at any minute,” Beer said while greeting members of the Kaua‘i High School Key Club who were preparing to decorate the convention hall. “My partner, Dimples Kano, is busy with dignitaries, so I guess I’m doing the pumpkin crunch cutting today.”
Beer said the Salvation Army planned on serving 1,000 meals at the convention hall starting at 10 a.m., another 350 lunches at the Hanapepe Corps starting at 10:30 a.m. There are still a limited number of lunches available for pick-up and to-go at the Lihu‘e Corps after 1 p.m.
“This is about the same amount as last year,” Beer said. “But it’s still a lot of meals.”
The community comes forward to enable the Salvation Army to host this annual Thanksgiving meal.
The Kaua‘i Community College culinary arts department prepares the pumpkin crunch. Staff from the Kaua‘i Marriott Resort and Beach Club cooked up 40 turkeys which were delivered Tuesday morning. And the students at Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School created placemats which were being placed by the Key Club students who will decorate the area.
Mark’s Place and Contemporary Flavors Catering is cooking the ceremonial turkey which will be carved by Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. and other organizations will join the Salvation Army as servers.
Charlene Navarro, the Key Club adviser, said the students donated all the food items which will be given away during the lunch. Some of the items were dressed up in holiday cheer.
The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church established in 1865, hosts the annual community Thanksgiving luncheon in honor of the season and to give thanks for its many blessings.
Anyone who would enjoy a meal with turkey, stuffing, gravy and all the fixings is invited to join the fun starting at 10 a.m. until noon at both the Kaua‘i War Memorial Convention Hall, or the Hanapepe Corps Community Center.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
