• Thanksgiving At The Elks Lodge 2015

Yesterday the Elks Lodge held it's 37th annual Thanksgiving dinner for seniors. 

They had two meal times. The first around noon and the second at about 2:00pm. I came to take pictures and do a write up about it, and wasn't expecting to be invited to eat; good thing I happened to come hungry, because the food was delicious and I ate up every bite... even the veggies.

Before the meal there was the citing of the pledge of allegiance and a prayer of thanks.

I was seated near a pair of brothers, the Alexanders. The older brother has lived in Wildomar for 45 years, is a member of the VFW and it was a treat to hear stories about the area when the 15 Fwy was just a two lane road called the 395. 

Across from me was a delightful couple, and the volunteer that was refilling coffee asked the woman if she had been a famous movie star in the past. She smiled and said no, but did reveal that she had been born in 1926.

I asked her how she had heard about the Elks dinner, and she remarked that they'd been coming for years, and that a friend of theirs brought them the first time. 

The meal included turkey, mashed potatoes , stuffing, a vegetable medley, cranberry sauce, a roll, gravy and followed up by pumpkin pie and coffee.

In attendance were the younger members of boy scout troop 332. They were on hand to refill beverages,  take away plates, and otherwise be helpful to the guests. There were also many adult volunteers on hand to cook, serve and clean up the meal.

The table I was at was served by ten year old boy scout Matthew. Everyone at my table remarked how well mannered he was, and how much they enjoyed seeing his eagerness to help out.

Between the two seatings, it was estimated that they had 300 guests, and they'd love to see the number rise for next year. They prepared enough food for 400, and though all the volunteers (about 50 in total) ate, they'd love to find themselves in a position of running out of food next year. ☺

The meal was free, but they did have a donation box that you could leave a donation in at one of the exits. It was known as a purple pig,  though this one had been charred by two past fires, so they named it Flamboyant. The money goes to the Elks charity work.

It was a great opportunity to meet more people from Wildomar, enjoy a fine meal and be thankful to live in such a great, generous and giving country.

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“Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare. They are consumed in twelve minutes. Half-times take twelve minutes. This is not coincidence.”

― Erma Bombeck

Wildomar Rap would like to express a heartfelt thanks to the Elks Lodge for hosting such a terrific event, and allowing me to partake in it too. Happy Thanksgiving Wildomar! ☺