Schoharie County's 27th annual Thanksgiving Day Dinner will happen after all after Wolfe's Pizza and Wholesale and Catered Affairs Unlimited stepped up with offers of space.
With nowhere to serve a sit-down meal or even prepare take-outs, organizers of the long-running event had been afraid their Thanksgiving had run its course.
But after putting out a last-minute appeal, longtime volunteer Kevin Neary said they heard from Scott and Lenore Wolfe of Wolfe's, who offered to host the formal sit-down dinner at their new Cobleskill restaurant.
Also, he said, Mary Skinner of Catered Affairs offered to open up her Schoharie kitchen for meal preparation for take-outs.
"It's fantastic, the way people stepped forward," Mr. Neary said. "We also already have some offers for sites for next year. We're ready to go."
Or almost.
Especially needed are donations of turkey breasts-not the whole bird because of oven space issues-along with financial contributions.
Anyone wishing to donate to the dinner can send checks payable to: Thanksgiving Day Dinner, PO Box 177, Richmondville, NY 12149.
To donate turkeys, volunteer, or order a home-delivered meal, contact Donna Whalen at the Office for the Aging, 234-8259.
Because of limited space, reservations for the sit-down meal at Wolfe's-there are only 75 spots-reservations are requested ASAP.
Call Ms. Whelan or Wolfe's Pizza, 234-2112/2047.
The Thanksgiving Day Dinner Committee will also be supporting the Blenheim Thanksgiving Day Dinner, which will be held Saturday, November 29, at the Blenheim Firehouse.
All meals are free.
The committee's next meeting will be this Thursday, October 23, 9am at the Schoharie County Office of Emergency Service, the former MOSA on Route 7, Cobleskill, at 9am.
Anyone interested in helping out is invited to attend.