The Salvation Army’s annual Thanksgiving dinner went smoothly thanks to the efforts of the more than 120 volunteers who donated time, effort and food for the event, said Salvation Army Capt. Bob Schmig.
“There are some that have been here since early this morning working in the kitchen,” Schmig said.
  
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Until the doors opened just before noon and people poured into the dining hall, the kitchen was easily the busiest room in the building.
Nearly a dozen volunteer cooks crammed into the tiny space, carrying large batches of yams, turkey, dressing and other Thanksgiving staples. At the end of a long stainless-steel table, a group of three volunteers held a large bowl of mashed potatoes steady while another worked the mixture with a potato masher.
Steam rose from the various pots of gravy and corn on the cob sitting atop the stove in the corner. Cries of “hot plate” rang out above the din as “runners” brought food up to the serving line in the dining area.
“Once it gets started, it gets really busy,” said Corinne Kelly, one of the two volunteers tasked with switching empty food containers on the line with fresh batches from the kitchen.
“It’s a lot of fun, and fairly hectic,” said volunteer Roy Shelley. “Not as hectic as last year, it’s a little more organized. I think we learned a little bit from last year.”
This was Shelley’s second year volunteering with the dinner, after a friend brought him along last year.
“This year he couldn’t make it, so I got put in charge of the kitchen,” Shelley said. “I got here at 7 o’clock this morning.”
Along with the more than 100 people that came in person to eat, 87 take-out boxes were prepared for volunteers from Meals on Wheels to deliver to individuals who couldn’t attend, said Schmig.
Schmig’s wife, Salvation Army Capt. Karen Schmig, said that volunteer donations this year have been spectacular.
“The Sierra Vista community’s been so wonderful.” she said, “We have so much food. We’ve actually already started piling up non-perishables for Christmas, and that has never happened since we’ve been here the past four years.”
As people started lining up to receive their meal, the familiar notes of “I’ll be Home for Christmas” rang out from a small raised platform in the corner of the room.
Pete Hawker, Lighthouse Ministries pastor, has been playing the saxophone for more than half a century.
In addition to his Sunday service, Hawker plays with different church groups, he said.
More than 30 turkeys were prepared for the event.
Leftovers will be used for food boxes for the Salvation Army, Bob Schmig said.
“That’s never been a problem,” he said.
He praised the charity of the community, without which, he said, none of this would have been possible.
“People have just really stepped up and brought an incredible amount of food,” he said. “Sierra Vista has made this possible.”
Herald/Review reporter Derek Jordan can be reached at 515-4680 or by e-mail at derek.jordan@svherald.com.
