The Old Rochester Regional Junior High School students and staff who volunteered their time over the weekend to put on a Thanksgiving banquet for the senior citizens of Tri-Town knew what they were doing, considering that this was the 24th year the school offered the special Sunday Thanksgiving event.
When Superintendent of Schools Doug White addressed the full cafeteria of guests, he asked how many had ever attended the event before, and most raised their hands. Those whose first time was this past November 23 only needed to follow their noses down the long corridors leading to the cafeteria to know where to go.
This was White’s fifth year attending the event, and he thanked the Mattapoisett Police Association for their generous contributions year after year to help the school fund the event. White also thanked the senior citizens of Tri-Town and the volunteers.
Lines of eight-graders dressed in black and white served steaming plates of turkey and gravy to the guests at the tables.
The food service staff – volunteering their own time to make the turkey dinners for the seniors – were in the kitchen cooking away and keeping it fun as they laughed together and smiled while scooping servings of stuffing and mashed potatoes for the student volunteers to carry off.
“This is a great testament to the junior high school,” said ORR Junior High School Principal Kevin Brogioli, commending the students and staff for the time they gave to decorate the cafeteria and for the cooking, serving, greeting, and cleaning-up after the event.
Some volunteers even delivered turkey dinners to senior citizens who could not attend the banquet so that nobody missed out on the special Thanksgiving meal.
By Jean Perry
