HOLIDAY LUNCHEON

Rotary Club: Annual Thanksgiving meal to be held Wednesday at the Kallet

The Oneida Rotary Club kicked off preparations for its annual Thanksgiving luncheon with ‘the big chop.’

About a half dozen Rotarians peeled potatoes, sliced carrots, diced onions and chopped celery at Dibbles Inn Monday morning in advance of the annual event that feeds hundreds of local families.

“It’s been a great service to the community,” said event chair Perry Tooker IV. “The Rotary Club’s motto is ‘Service Above Self’. This is our way of bringing the community together for Thanksgiving.”

Other Rotarians who pitched in Monday included president Mary Pat Adams, former president Pete Froass, former pres-

ident Perry Tooker III, sergeant at arms Jack Wallace, and Matt Lacy.

For more than 20 years, the Rotary has provided community members with a hot meal on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Dibbles Inn provides space for prep work, and executive chef Ronald Debarr assists in preparing the food, which includes turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, rolls, cranberry, corn and pie for dessert. Walmart, HP Hood, Carlo Masi Sons and Daughters, Karing Kitchen and the Oneida Healthcare Extended Care Facility also donated to the event.

To serve as many people as they can, Rotarians spend hours alone peeling potatoes and prepare 31 turkeys to go into the oven on Tuesday morning.

The Thanksgiving lun- cheon is free and open to the public. It begins at 11:30 a.m. at the Kallet Civic Center in Oneida.

Takeout deliveries will be made to residents of Oneida Towers 1 and 2, the Hazel L. Carpenter home and to area seniors through the Senior Nutrition and County Kitchen program.

Z- Club, National Honor Society, Junior National Honor Society and Interact students will join the Rotary Club at the Kallet.

CHARLES PRITCHARD — ONEIDA DAILY DISPATCH From left, Rotarians Matt Lacy, Mary Pat Adams and Perry Tooker IV peel and cut potatoes on Nov. 202017at Dibbles Inn.

Perry Tooker IV, right, and Matt Lacy peel potatoes on Nov. 202017at Dibbles Inn.

CHARLES PRITCHARD — ONEIDA DAILY DISPATCH From left, Rotarians Jack Wallace, Pete Froass and Perry Tooker III work peel and chop potatoes on Nov. 20 2017at Dibbles Inn.