COMMUNITY MEAL
Annual Turkey Bowl feeds 950 area residents
LIMERICK >> While Thanksgiving is traditionally a time for families to be together, it can also be a great time for building community togetherness.
No one knows this better than the volunteers at the annual Limerick Turkey Bowl. The event, now in its fifth year, is held annually by Crossroads Presbyterian Church at Limerick Bowl, 653 W Ridge Pike, to offer meals, entertainment and good company to those in the community looking for a little of each on Thanksgiving.
“We’re ready to feed close to 1,000 people and everything is homemade,” said David Pawson, a mission and Evangelism session member with Crossroads Presbyterian Church who helps plan the event. “That’s one thing we set our sights on, to make sure it’s always the best.”
Pawson and the volunteers must be doing a good job because each year the event continues to grow. Last year, the Turkey Bowl fed about 700 people in the community. This year, that number has jumped to 950.
“Every year it just keeps getting a little bigger and little bigger, more volunteers. The last paper count we had of people who called in was 950,” said Rev. Brenton Thompson of Crossroads Presbyterian Church. “One thing I love is that Chris puts whoever is in
line in the same lane together. And so you get people who might never really interact eating together, bowling together. Kids are laughing, senior citizens are enjoying themselves. Just watching that is really great and watching the volunteers enjoy themselves; those two things together are pretty fantastic.”
The event also has a few donors who have made a big difference in growing the festivities. Donors include Wawa, Giant, Wegmans, Raymour and Flanigan and New Hanover Church.
The hundreds of guests who turned up at Limerick Bowl on Thursday got a chance to enjoy a homemade Thanksgiving meal, including a variety of desserts, play a few free games of bowling and take family photos together in front of a fall backdrop.
For those who couldn’t get transportation to the event, shuttles ran to and from areas including Royersford and Pottstown to make sure everyone had a chance to enjoy the holiday.
“All these people and all the work they put into it to see it happen is my favorite part,” said Pawson. “That’s what we want to do is give them a nice event so that they leave with a memory instead of just a meal.”