Pre-Thanksgiving Dinner Celebrates 20 Years

An annual Thanksgiving holiday tradition is once again a success.

The 20th annual Sandra Harbin Pre-Thanksgiving Dinner took place on Sunday at the Toccoa-Stephens County Boys and Girls Club on Whitman Street in Toccoa.

Also accompanying it this year was the annual Wendell Jackson Sherman Memorial Gospel Concert, also at the Boys and Girls Club right after the dinner.

The men of Friendship Baptist Church organize the event each year.

Randolph Sherman said they are very happy with how this 20th annual dinner went.

“It is a milestone, starting out at 200 plates for a year and now we are up over 1,000 plates,” said Sherman. “It has been great. God has been good.”

He said they appreciate all of the support from the community to help provide this dinner for senior citizens each year.

“I want to thank all the churches involved,” said Sherman. “We just all come together and have a good time and enjoy it.”

Some people have been coming since the dinner started 20 years ago.

One of those who attends nearly every year is Ruth Mayfield.

She said she only missed last year because of the rain but was determined not to miss this year’s.

“I love it, I enjoy it, I hate to miss it last year,” said Mayfield.

She said she loves seeing everybody at the dinner and concert each year.