CENTERTON, Ark — What's a Thanksgiving dinner without the star of the show? A turkey!
Ahead of the Annual Centerton Thanksgiving meal on the holiday, community members came out to carve the turkeys and hams that will be served to those who need dinner.
"We are growing community, but I like to keep that small town feel here," Mayor Bill Edwards said. "There's a lot of people in need in our community, and lot of folks are just sitting home and don't have any family here."
People rolled up their sleeves and brought their electric knifes to get things ready for turkey day.
"I felt like this would be great opportunity for to help ahead of time [to] serve those families," said Wendy Henson, a candidate for Centerton City Council and founder and executive director of Centerton Cares. "I love that about Centerton because I get to have those relationships with both people in need and people who can serve those needs."
Henson said even if it doesn't seem like it, there's a need in the city.
"There's several families that may not have a Thanksgiving meal, so I think it speaks volumes to kind of what we're trying to create here," Henson said. "Many of the seniors may live alone or may not be able to be with their families during this time, so this unifies the community and brings everyone together."
"You can make friends at one of these gatherings, and go for a lifetime," councilmember Keith Higginbotham said. "This is what community is. Do you see this in the bigger towns?"
It's the first year back after a brief hiatus. No matter the circumstance, anyone is invited out to get a meal at no cost. The mayor also said if you need a meal delivered, you can message him on Facebook.
"The turkeys were done or prepared by or smoked by one of our local vendors, Rib Crib. These were donated by Cargill. So we're getting prepared for tonight, and then we'll reheat everything in the morning, and hopefully have a good crowd out," Edwards said. "Most of the food has been donated and cooked by some of our local residents."
The meal will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thanksgiving in the community room at 290 N Main St. in Centerton.
"They’ll not have to bring a thing, just bring an appetite," Edwards said.
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