Millbourne Laundromat Thanksgiving feast moving to new venue

After more than two decades of serving turkey on Thanksgiving at the Millbourne Laundromat, the 25th annual community Thanksgiving dinner is moving to a larger location.

This Monday, the Millbourne Laundromat and the Rotary Club of Edmonton Southeast will cohost the dinner between 11:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at the Leefield Community League hall at 7910 36 Ave., just a few blocks from where the tradition began at the Millbourne Laundromat at 109 Millbourne Rd. East.

“It will save us time, and we can accommodate more people because the community will be involved,” said Victoria Ewert, a Rotary Club member who has helped organize the event for the last seven years.

The Millbourne Laundromat Thanksgiving dinner began 25 years ago when original owner Shirley Tripp realized many of her regular clients didn’t have a place to go.

The new owners continued the tradition, serving more than 1,000 people a Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings at the laundromat last year.

“It’s not just for the homeless people, it’s for the community, anybody who wants to partake in the food and who wants to feel the spirit of Thanksgiving. We don’t discriminate against anybody, we welcome everyone,” Ewert said in an interview Wednesday.

Volunteer chefs will begin cooking turkeys in the community league kitchen Friday.

The Rotary Club has donated $5,000, with the rest of the tab picked up by community members and businesses.

This year, Ewert expects to feed 1,300 people Thanksgiving dinner.

Ewert said volunteers will be collecting warm winter clothing in good condition at the event to give to those in need.

Anyone with items to donate can do so in person at the Leefield Community League on Monday.

On Friday, the Hope Mission at 9908 106 Ave. is expecting to welcome 600 guests for two seatings of Thanksgiving dinner — one at 4:30 p.m. and another at 5:30 p.m.