By Sarah Richardson
After several weeks of uncertainty and discussion, When Pigs Fly BBQ and Kellen’s Kitchen Catering have announced that they will once again sponsor the annual Day of Giving Back Free Community Thanksgiving Dinner this year.
Owners Mike Sheridan and Kellen Leef confirmed the decision on Oct. 31 following a strong show of encouragement from local residents, volunteers, and donors. The dinner will be held at noon on Thanksgiving Day in the West Virginia Building at the State Fair of West Virginia.
They stated that they initially delayed their decision after recently receiving a wave of online harassment, with some of the messages criticizing the couple’s longstanding “no politics” rule for the dinner, which prohibits political apparel and speech. Concerned that volunteers and donors could become targets, they asked for public input before moving forward.
“You overwhelmingly expressed support, willingness, and a desire to do it again. We found your feedback to be very reassuring,” they stated online last month.
The Thanksgiving event began years ago as a small dinner, in 2014 as a small gesture of gratitude following the death of Kellen’s father. What started as a free meal for 200 people in their 47-seat restaurant has grown into serving nearly 1,000 guests with the help of more than 150 volunteers.
The couple emphasizes that the event’s principles remain the same: “Keep it simple. Everyone is welcome. No paperwork. No politics.”
Alongside planning for the dinner, When Pigs Fly and Kellen’s Kitchen have also launched a “Dinner Every Day” fundraiser to support Greenbrier County food pantries. On Nov. 3, they said, “The food pantry has already withdrawn $1,800 from the $2,289 you have donated by credit card. So, there is about $500 still to transfer in the next few days.”
Donations can be made via GoFundMe at https://gofund.me/0477e8027 or by mailing a check made out to the Lewisburg/Fairlea Food Pantry to Kellen’s Kitchen Catering, P.O. Box 204, Maxwelton, WV 24957.
“Every dime that comes in the mail goes straight to the food pantries, and onto somebody’s table,” they say.
Volunteer and donation details for the Thanksgiving Dinner will be released in the coming week on When Pigs Fly’s Facebook page, “When Pigs Fly: Real Good Food, BBQ Catering, Events, Concessions.” Their direct link is www.facebook.com/WhenPigsFlyBBQllc.
