ST. REGIS – Community members without family in the area, and those who were passing through, did not have to be alone for Thanksgiving as a special holiday dinner was held at the St. Regis Community Center.

The event was put on by the St. Regis Community Bible Church and was free to anyone who wanted to come by. While the dinner was touted as a potluck, people were not required to bring anything to contribute.

Sherrill Christensen, an organizer of the event, said the event was a way for people to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner, even if there was nobody in the area to share it with.

“Some people don’t have children around, or family,” said Christensen. “So, it’s kind of fun to do. We don’t want anyone to be alone on Thanksgiving, there’s no reason for them to be alone.”

Members of the church prepared more than enough food for the event. Christensen said three turkeys were prepared along with several hams. There was also stuffing, mashed potatoes, turkey gravy, cranberry sauce and a variety of pies. There was extra room on the tables for any contributions others may have brought. After the event, Christensen reported there being one whole turkey, which had not been touched.

While the church organized the event, there was no religious basis behind it. According to Christensen, the event was non-denominational and was a way for people to get together for the holiday. The only religious symbolism to be seen were bible verses, which had been set up on the tables alongside cups of trail mix. The cups included a list, which gave the Thanksgiving meaning of everything included in the mix.

Christensen said leftovers would be taken home by members of the church or brought to church for people to enjoy after Sunday mass. Throughout the scheduled time, many people gathered an extra plate of food to take home for later.

While the event was based around people without family in the area, whole families did come by to eat. A few families with kids who ranged from grade school age to teenagers came through to enjoy the meal. Some adults, such as Sheriff Ernie Ornelas, also had Thanksgiving dinner with parents.

“We just have a family Thanksgiving whether you have kids, whether you don’t,” Christensen said. “You don’t have to have children, you don’t have to have a full family or you can have the whole family and bring them in.”

According to Christensen, the church began the tradition a few years ago. While it depends on the year, the event usually draws between 75 and 100 people. Previous years have seen a mix of community members and people who stopped by while driving through on the Interstate. In the past, the event has been from 1 to 3 p.m. However, this year, for reasons not explained, the event’s time was extended to 12 to 4 p.m.

As Christensen said, nobody should be alone for the holidays. The St. Regis Thanksgiving dinner allowed everyone to gather as a community to give thanks for the blessings of the year.