When Pigs Fly Barbeque is happy to announce that they will be having their eighth annual Day of Giving Back, Free Thanksgiving Dinner on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 24.
According to their announcement: We served about 450 dinners last year, and we have already had a lot of people calling to ask about it, leading to our belief that the need is greater than ever this year!
We’re proud to be partnering once again with the State Fair of West Virginia to hold the event at the Blue Ribbon Center on the Fairgrounds in Fairlea.
The first seven events were a great success. “With the help of an amazing 90+ volunteers, and tremendous community support, we served about 450 free Thanksgiving dinners in 2021,” said Kellen Leef, co-owner of the popular local caterer and event provider.
“So many people are alone, or just struggling to get by,” her partner Mike Sheridan said. “We try to give a little something back to the community which has been so good to us, and feeding people is a great way to do it.”
As always, we will be providing a traditional Thanksgiving meal, including smoked turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, sweet potatoes, cranberry salad, pumpkin pie, and all the rest of the trimmings absolutely free to anyone who shows up.
“There are many people in our community who are either alone, or unable to prepare themselves a traditional Thanksgiving meal,” said Leef. “We want them to share this joyful and thankful occasion with us. So, if you know of such people, ask them to come by and join us for good food and fellowship.” Or come yourself. All are welcome.
There is absolutely no charge and no catch. People can throw a donation in the jar if they want to. We do not check ID’s, and no paperwork is required. Just show up and eat. (If we have volunteer drivers, we will also deliver to the elderly and shut-ins, as needed.) Doors open from 12 noon to 4 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day (or until we run out).
Over the years, the event has evolved into a community-sponsored event. Sheridan says, “We are hoping for even more community support this year. In the past, we’ve been fortunate to have donations of both food and cash from a number of individuals and organizations in the community.”
For 2022, we’ve already received pledges of support from several local businesses, and will respectfully ask all local restaurants, other businesses and organizations to step up and participate. “We realize that times are hard right now,” said Leef, “so we all need to do what we can to help each other.”
Individuals may also donate cash or food. We’ll be getting our “wish list” for food items, and verify the drop-off points within the next couple of days. We’ll take cash, check or plastic, and will let you know where to donate shortly.
Unused food, if any, will go to the local food bank. Any excess donations will go to Penny Pitch (we have donated almost $400 at times in the past).
We need volunteers on Wednesday, Nov. 23, Thanksgiving Day, and Friday, Nov. 25, to help prep, cook, serve and clean up. Shifts will be set up so that nobody has to work all day. People will get to spend time with their families while donating two or three hours to the community on Thanksgiving Day.
Cathey Sawyer has kindly volunteered to coordinate volunteers this year. Please call her at 304-645-5041. Call Kellen at 304-249-8124 to pledge a contribution. We ask that all communication go through these numbers, via voice, as it is impossible to keep up with messages coming in from multiple streams, and we’re sure to lose yours.
When Pigs Fly will be publishing a wish list of needed food items and other details in a few days, meanwhile, just think of this as a “save the date” announcement.
When Pigs Fly Barbeque has been cooking and selling real pit barbeque since 2006. We are currently focused on catering, events such as fairs and festivals, and concessionaire services for sporting and other events. We recently added fresh cooked donuts to our menu. Give us a call for all your catering needs, including your company or organization’s Christmas party. Call Kellen at 304-249-8124 for more information.
