As the former vice-presidential candidate served up mashed potatoes and turkey to a long line of hungry visitors, Santa was still wide awake after pulling an all-nighter delivering gifts around the world. Both were all smiles as they chatted with and served up food and presents to hundreds at the 18th annual Christmas Friendship Dinner at the Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center.
“No, no, no, not tired at all,” Santa said. “All that cocoa last night, and with all the cookies and chocolate, I’m wide awake.”
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“The food is good, the people are good and it’s good to see people you haven’t seen in while,” said Glen Butts. “And, of course, we have Sarah here. ... (But) I’d have to say Santa is the bigger celebrity. He’s going non-partisan, so I’d have to go with him.”
Lt. Micah Weinstein of the Wasilla Police Department reserves agreed. “Sarah’s a great lady, but Santa’s Santa.”
Behind the scenes, Bob Bowers has helped organize and cook for the Christmas Friendship Dinner since its inception. That first year, the dinner served 64 people at the Wasilla Senior Center. Last year, an estimated 1,500-1,700 was fed at Wasilla High School, and this year Bowers was prepared for 2,000 people at the sports center, as the event had outgrown the high school.
After 18 years of peeling potatoes and cooking in cramped, hot kitchens, is Bowers ready to pass on his apron?
“Heck, are you kidding?” he said. “I look forward to this day. This is the happiest day of my life when I get down here.”
This year, Bowers and a small army of volunteers helped cook and serve 63 turkeys, 60 hams, 600 pounds of potatoes, 50 gallons of gravy, 80 pounds of butter, dozens of large cans of beans and corn, and 600 pounds of carrots.
With more space and the kitchen facilities at the sports center, “This is the best year we’ve ever had,” Bowers said. “At the high school, they had to cook the potatoes out in front of the high school, and then they had to wheel them all the way back to the kitchen, mash them up, then haul them right back to where they cooked them. It took us all day.”
The Cowles family traveled from Indian with 7-year-old daughter Tilly for the dinner and passed the time playing Uno while waiting to help clean up.
“It feels like family,” Roger Cowles said about why his family has attended the past four Christmas events. “My folks live here and they peel potatoes and carrots. Last year, we came a day early and helped. This year we’re on the clean-up crew.”
While Tilly played Uno with her parents — “I lost the last hand,” her father said. “I was, like, hundreds in the hole” — her brothers were outside playing with a new toy they received at the sports center.
“We wouldn’t let them bring a football,” Roger Cowles said. “We said, ‘No, it’s going to be indoors.’ So, the gift they got from the giveaway over there was a football.”
Ashley Mills was one volunteer helping hand out presents to children at the dinner. All the gifts were donated, she said, then wrapped and labeled so each child would get a gift appropriate to his or her age and gender.
“It just makes me so happy to see them so happy about getting a present,” she said.
From youngsters visiting Santa one last time to seniors finding some companionship on Christmas, the friendship dinner was the place to be.
Barbara Rice lives at the Wasilla Senior Center and raved about the pecan pie.
“That pie, I’m not kidding you, is just delicious,” she said.
She also had warm thoughts for the local Santa Cop program, which payed her a visit earlier on Christmas.
“I didn’t even know about them,” she said of the Santa Cops. “They came in and said, ‘Are you Barbara Rice?’ And I said, ‘I am.” And he said, ‘We’re the Santa Cops and we’re here to see you.’”
She received a $100 gift certificate and several other wrapped gifts, Rice said.
“I was shocked a just the (amount of the) gift certificate, and I still have the gifts to look at too,” she said.
Kurt Karmer took a break from volunteering in the kitchen to enjoy Christmas dinner with his family. After three days of cooking to prepare, he proclaimed “everything” was the best on the menu.
“I just like bringing a little Christmas cheer to people, that’s all,” he said. “It’s been really good. The volunteers are great and (the facility) is beautiful.”
Sierra Hannan is a Christmas Friendship Dinner veteran. Attending since she was a girl, Hannan now brings her own children.
“I think it’s absolutely wonderful,” she said. “It helps out the community, and it’s not just for poor people, it’s for everybody.”
Bowers said he gets more out of volunteering to make the dinner happen than he puts into it, but what really made him choke up was seeing the community fill the sports center.
“This is the gospel-honest truth,” Bowers said. “I have walked out there three times today, and all three times I had to come back because I had tears in my eyes. I was so happy and so overwhelmed with what I saw, it just makes my Christmas.”
Contact Greg Johnson at greg.johnson@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.
Comments
16 comment(s)Another To DITTO wrote on Dec 30, 2009 10:38 AM:
I truly wish happiness for you in the coming year. "
Ditto wrote on Dec 28, 2009 1:13 PM:
I DID NOT post that comment twice! It was the experienced staff at YOUR high class, hometown newspaper. Complain to them.....they could use some constructive criticism. As for "grow up"...let me know any future progress on YOUR part. LOL "
Sue Tischner wrote on Dec 28, 2009 6:36 AM:
LC wrote on Dec 27, 2009 5:19 PM:
Friend wrote on Dec 27, 2009 2:58 PM:
My family and I were NOT, however, impressed with Sarah & Todd Palin. They were rude and entitled. This dinner is a community event, NOT a publicity stunt or a meet and greet for the Palins. "
To Ditto wrote on Dec 27, 2009 1:53 PM:
Ditto wrote on Dec 27, 2009 7:00 AM:
grdnbug wrote on Dec 27, 2009 2:32 AM:
Kristie wrote on Dec 26, 2009 10:03 PM:
Ditto wrote on Dec 26, 2009 9:05 PM:
jim colier wrote on Dec 26, 2009 10:47 AM:
Serra wrote on Dec 25, 2009 11:24 PM:
wasillaresident wrote on Dec 25, 2009 11:22 PM:
Breaking news wrote on Dec 25, 2009 7:44 PM:
Flister wrote on Dec 25, 2009 5:41 PM:
Travis wrote on Dec 25, 2009 5:38 PM:
Today wife, I and several friends went over the Colorado River (we live in a small Arizona retirement community) to the Avi Casino and had a many course Christmas dinner. Shrimp, crab, turkey, ham,, prime rib & etc, with a vast assortment of deserts. Cost, less than $10.00 each and a great time was had by all.
In the spirit of the season, we generously tipped the waitresses, they had to work hard on Christmas day to serve, so they deserved it. "