The Salvation Army will host its yearly Thanksgiving dinner Thursday at the Neal Blaisdell Center, and about 2,000 community members are expected to attend the free event that is open to anyone, regardless of financial situation, a Salvation Army spokesman said.
"A lot of the people who come to this event look forward to it because they know that they are really welcomed and they are entertained," Daniel de Castro said. "It’s just a real feeling of being in a large ohana with everybody else wanting to share in the holiday spirit."
Doors will open at 10:15 a.m., and the award-winning Hawaiian music duo Hapa will perform at 10:45 a.m., followed by the Honolulu Boy Choir at 11:15 a.m.
Dinner will be served about noon, after Mayor Peter Carlisle cuts into the first bird, de Castro said.
More than 70 turkeys, 500 pounds of stuffing and 300 pumpkin pies have been donated for the 41st annual feast.
"In these difficult economic times, there are more people than ever, we think, (that) need a little extra help," Salvation Army Divisional Commander Maj. Edward Hill said. "I look forward to greeting everybody and being able to share a word of encouragement and enjoy the opportunity to fellowship with them."
More than 800 volunteers have helped to prepare the banquet and will be on hand Thursday to carve turkeys and serve a sit-down meal to all the guests.
"It’s a huge operation," de Castro said. "It takes a lot of people to actually pull this together."
Anna Miller’s and Zippy’s restaurants bake the pies, bought in advance by customers participating in the "Buy A Pie" program. The turkeys come already roasted from hotel kitchens and restaurants, and Bank of Hawaii donates money for any extra fixings that need to be purchased, de Castro said.
Local schoolchildren lend a helping hand by crafting homemade placemats.
"We prepare those (placemats) … so people feel like they are in a very real ohana," de Castro said.
People interested in attending can call 988-2136 for a list of Salvation Army locations where they can pick up tickets, which will also be available Thursday at Blaisdell Center. De Castro said tickets are free and are used only to count the number of people served.
The Hawaii Kai retirement community will host a Thanksgiving buffet at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at 428 Kawaihae St. That meal is free, too, but guests are asked to RSVP by calling 395-9599 because space is limited.
