Each Thanksgiving for the past seven years, Kayla Hernandez and members of her extended family have met at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center to help feed the homeless, poor and those just looking for a hot meal and good company.

For the past four years, the annual gathering of the Hernandez clan has become a tribute to her grandmother Sally Crum, who died in 2015 at the age of 86.

“It’s becoming like a real tradition,” said Hernandez, a teacher.

Hernandez was among roughly 800 volunteers who showed up Thursday to help the Salvation Army serve free food at its 49th annual Thanksgiving meal service on Oahu.

>> Photo Gallery: Salvation Army 49th Annual Thanksgiving Dinner

Some 2,000 people were expected to partake in the lunchtime spread of turkey, rice, gravy, stuffing, pineapple, dinner rolls and pumpkin pie.

Lucas Esdicul, 76, a retired wielder, was one of them.

The Army veteran said he’s been coming to the Blaisdell for the past 10 or 11 years and off and on before that.

Because he lives in a studio apartment with no stove — only a hot plate — the draw is the hot meal.

“I’m hungry,” the Kalihi resident said, explaining why he comes back each year. “I tell you the truth.”

He also likes seeing friendly faces on the holiday. “I just want to be among these people.”

Steve Byers, 64, also enjoys the company and food.

The retired food service worker is single and says he doesn’t like to cook for himself on the holiday.

Instead, the Kalihi resident marks his calendar every year with the words “eat at noon” on Thanksgiving. He started doing that after he showed up one year at Blaisdell an hour too late — and all the food had been served.

Byers said he looks forward to the Salvation Army gathering each year. “I can get a traditional Thanksgiving meal, and you can’t hardly beat the price,” he added. “And the food’s actually really good.”

Back in the volunteer area, Hernandez and her husband, sister and cousins were helping plate the food.

Almost all the food, table decorations and entertainment were donated for the event.

The spread Thursday included:

>> 900 pounds of turkey (about 100 20-pound turkeys).

>> 300 pounds of stuffing.

>> 35 gallons of gravy.

>> 350 pounds of rice.

>> 135 pineapples.

>> 170 dozen dinner rolls.

>> 100 gallons of fruit punch.

>> 30 pounds of coffee.

>> 250 pumpkin pies.

The Salvation Army started serving free Thanksgiving dinners on Oahu in 1971. That year 500 meals were served.

Hernandez said she and her family members — there were eight this year — started volunteering seven years ago “mainly because we wanted to give back. And it’s fun.”

She also said the volunteering was to honor the memory of her late grandmother.

After Thursday’s event Hernandez planned to stop at Punchbowl to place flowers on her grandmother’s grave.