t NKHS ASB and girls basketball members cook up 94 pounds of turkey for free Thanksgiving dinner.
POULSBO — The holidays are the ideal time for traditions, especially starting new ones.
That’s exactly what North Kitsap High’s Associated Student Body and girls basketball programs did last year, and will keep the festivities alive this year.
All are invited to attend the ASB/girls basketball complimentary community Thanksgiving Day feast at Poulsbo Middle School in the cafeteria from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
There’s enough food to fill upwards of 250 bellies.
“If they show up at 1, we’ll still feed them,” said ASB advisor and family and consumer sciences teacher Doris Ahrens. “As long as there’s food and people walking in the door they’ll be fed.”
The dinner became a reality at the urging of NKHS girls basketball/fastpitch coach and math teacher Bill Hobaugh. Ahrens said last year Hobaugh came to her and said they really needed to do something for the community.
Although only about 25 people dined the first year the turkey dinner was offered, and a few questioned the need to repeat the event, Ahrens and the programs’ members know there’s a need, more so this year than ever.
And it’s not just a need for those who’ve been hit hard by rising prices and shrinking jobs. All are welcome regardless of financial standings.
“There is a need out there and there is more of a need this year than last year,” Ahrens said. “The people who showed up were the people who needed to be there and they were so appreciative it made it all worthwhile. There were people who showed up last year because they didn’t want to eat by themselves.”
Senior ASB and girls basketball team member Michelle Loyd really enjoyed herself last year. After the bulk of her decorating, serving and cleaning duties were finished she took some time to sit and talk with the diners. What most impacted Loyd was realizing she was sharing the holiday with individuals who, it seemed, hadn’t interacted with others for some time.
“I was able to sit down and speak with some of our guests and that was really, really cool,” Loyd said. “It seemed like some of the people hadn’t spoken to anyone in a while. It was worth doing it because people who did show up had a great time.”
All involved — more staff and students are helping out — hope for a similar response this Thursday and a greater turnout.
Ahrens said the district’s food and nutrition service director ordered all the traditions trimmings: 94 pounds of turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, rolls and cranberries. Ahrens will be running around purchasing the desserts: pumpkin, apple and pecan pies.
“When I first thought about it, it was like how many turkeys can I cook,” Ahrens said. “But it’s different in a commercial kitchen.”
The food was purchased with funds from the ASB budget.
Tomorrow Ahrens will start cooking at 6 a.m. and the student helpers show up shortly after 9 a.m. to start decorating. It’s estimated there will 40 staff and students helping out.
Loyd and ASB senior Amber Hoak and another friend rushed home last year to make a compact disc for ambience and that will most definitely be on the menu again, as will a new center piece.
Ahrens found some little styrofoam pumpkins with flowers and she made doily-style cloth napkins to place the pumpkins on. All that’s missing is a smattering of orange candles to complete the center pieces.
For those interested in partaking in North Kitsap’s newest Thanksgiving tradition, no reservations are needed, just show up at Poulso Middle school between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
“We’ve started a new tradition of giving back to our community that has done a lot to support the kids at our schools,” Ahrens said. “I’m banking on the fact this year we won’t be taking any leftovers home.”
