Terrence Savage was thankful to have a Thanksgiving feast to eat with friends.

And he was thankful for the nearly 500 volunteers who made Lawrence’s annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner possible.

Servers dish up turkey, ham and all the trimmings during the fourth annual Thanksgiving feast at Ottawa High School. An estimated 650 people passed through the food line Thursday.

“These are people who give from their hearts,” Savage said as he ate Thursday. “That’s the most important thing: They give from their hearts and care for one another.”

The dinner, sponsored by the Lawrence Interdenominational Nutrition Kitchen, drew about 250 people to the First Christian Church, 1000 Ky.

The turkey and trimmings were prepared by volunteer groups — mostly churches — from across Lawrence. About 50 people helped serve the meal on Thursday.

“It’s our big meal event of the year,” said Herman Leon, vice president of the LINK board of directors. “Basically, all the people involved in this made a decision in thinking about their philosophy on life that serving people who need something is worthy of their time.”

And he says the hours of preparation and not relaxing on Thanksgiving are well worth it when he sees the people come through the line.

“I classify this whole place, scientifically, as a miracle,” Leon said. “Some of them aren’t beautiful people. Some are mentally ill or poor. If you don’t get turned off by all the games we play and say, ‘We want to help you,’ it opens people up.”

Volunteers at LINK, center row from left, Sue Leonard, Judy Wiggins, Carol Armstrong, Diane Yeamans and Ginny Armstrong, work shoulder-to-shoulder in the kitchen dishing up Thanksgiving Day meals. LINK served its annual meal Thursday at First Christian Church, 10th and Kentucky streets.

Residents of Ottawa gathered for their own feast Thursday organized by Ottawa Middle School.

Dale Fox, the school’s principal, said more than 650 people attended the fourth annual event. Donations come from middle school students, HOPE House and local businesses and churches.

The project is designed to teach students the benefits of volunteering.

“We always have a couple of stories from people who share that they would not have had a Thanksgiving meal if it hadn’t been for us,” Fox said. “We always have students who say, ‘It really makes me appreciate what I have.’ You hear about the people who are needy and hungry, but it never hits home until you see the joy in their eyes.”

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