Lake Wylie middle-schoolers give 30 families Thanksgiving feast
It takes a few hands to serve up a full Thanksgiving meal, let alone dozens of them. Luckily for some area families, Oakridge Middle School has plenty to offer.
“What I like about it is it’s the whole school and even people outside the school,” said eighth-grader Deven King, part of Oakridge’s Giving Back Club. “It’s not just us that get to do it.”
The Giving Back Club is coordinating a Thanksgiving meal for 30 families, but they aren’t alone. The school Rachel’s Challenge Club makes cards. The parent-teacher organization transports the food to Clover Area Assistance Center. Lake Wylie Rotary Club provides the meat.
“Oakridge Middle students and families along with our faculty will provide meals for 30 families in our community,” said school counselor Pat Reid, who sponsors the Giving Back Club. “The meal is made complete by turkeys donated by Lake Wylie Rotary.”
The various school clubs organize it, but they get everyone involved.
“Each homeroom will provide a certain item for the meal,” Reid said. “Our faculty and staff will provide pies to top off that perfect Thanksgiving dinner for those in need. This is a combined project where everyone can help a family have a wonderful thanksgiving this year.”
Any extra food collected goes to CAAC. Will Largen, school principal, said the Thanksgiving feasts are as old as the school itself.
“This is the eighth year, basically 30 families every year,” he said.
The Giving Back Club member sees the food collection as a simple yet important service to the community.
“If they can’t afford their own Thanksgiving meal, we can help them,” said eighth-grader Abbie Welborn.
The club works with charitable groups throughout the year, from Ronald McDonald House Charities to a humane society to visiting nursing homes.
“I enjoy watching people smile,” King said. “I enjoy making them happy.”
John Marks: 803-831-8166, @JohnFMTimes
This story was originally published November 18, 2016 at 5:59 PM with the headline "Lake Wylie middle-schoolers give 30 families Thanksgiving feast."