Thanksgiving is a time of year that is meant to draw people together for a day of celebration in honor of all that there is to be grateful for and here in the Pahrump Valley, it is one that has for many years been accompanied by a community-wide gathering, the Community Thanksgiving Dinner.
Hosted by the Pahrump Holiday Task Force, the Community Thanksgiving Dinner gives residents, visitors and their families the opportunity to enjoy the holiday amid a festive atmosphere, complete with socialization, entertainment and of course, a traditional Thanksgiving feast. Each year the event attracts hundreds of attendees and it has become a much-loved part of the local Thanksgiving customs.
The Thanksgiving meal is buffet-style and will include roasted turkey and all the trimmings, such as mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, vegetables, sweet potatoes, cranberries and rolls. Pie will be served for dessert, there will be coffee, tea, juice and water.
Pahrump entertainer Johnny V, known for his Elvis impersonation, will serenade the crowd while they dine. All of this is provided free, thanks to the continued efforts of the Pahrump Holiday Task Force.
However, the task force members cannot do it all alone. In order to make the Community Thanksgiving Dinner a rousing success, the group will need the assistance of an army of volunteers and task force chair Linda Wright is encouraging people to get involved.
“We are looking for volunteers to help us with decorating on the Wednesday before the dinner and we need volunteers to help on Thanksgiving Day as well,” Wright said. “We’ll need help with serving, cleaning up and in the kitchen. If anyone can help by volunteering, please call me at 775-419-7857 to sign up or email the task force.”
For those who may not be able to dedicate time to the event, they can still lend a hand by making a donation to the effort. With rising food costs, the price tag associated with putting together such a large-scale community meal has spiked and the holiday task force can use all the monetary donations it can get. Donations of food items are also greatly appreciated, Wright said, noting that anyone willing to make a donation of any kind should reach out to her or the task force, with any checks made payable to the Pahrump Holiday Task Force.
“We are looking forward to seeing old friends and making new friends this Thanksgiving!” Wright enthused. “We have new families that have moved to Pahrump over the last several months, so we want to extend a ‘Welcome’ to them all and invite them to come join a great community gathering of friends and neighbors. All are welcome, especially our veterans. See you on Thanksgiving Day!”
The Community Thanksgiving Dinner is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 24 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the NyE Communities Coalition, 1020 E. Wilson Road.
For more information email PahrumpHolidayTaskForce@gmail.com
Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com