Close to 325 guests attended the Ponoka Community Christmas dinner held at the Ponoka Legion.
The community event continues to see strong support and attendance, explained co-organizer Val Schabert. She and caterers Bob and Deb Hepp ensured the event went off without a hitch.
“I’m glad to know that people who don’t have a place to go, they’re not left out,” Schabert offered, adding that the event is for anyone who wants to attend.
Indeed, there were families who take in the community Christmas as a way to celebrate the big day with members of the community. The festive atmosphere was partly made possible with a group of musicians playing holiday sounds while everyone enjoyed the meal.
Schabert said there are so many people and volunteers who provided support and funds to the event.
Along with turkey and ham and a full meal, there was a bulk candy station for kids, and candy door prizes, all amounting to $1,200 worth of goodies. This was all made possible through the donations of community members and businesses.
Along with the desserts was Hepp’s mother’s Christmas pudding; five kgs of it. Schabert said she started thinking about that dessert in November and it’s so tasty that none of it was left at the end of the day.
The Community Christmas is made possible by a small group of volunteers including Hepp and Schabert.
The fix-ins
There was quite a bit of food that went into the meal:
• 12 turkeys
• $500 worth of ham
• 100 pounds of potatoes
• 12 kgs of corn
• Eight kgs of green beans
• Five gallons of gravy
• Four gallons of cranberries
• Salad, dressing and buns and desserts
jeff.heyden-kaye@ponokanews.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter