Last year my girlfriend Marianne got involves with the combined Veterans of McHenry's Thanksgiving diner with Sailors from The Great Lakes Training Center.

This years over $5,000 (Marianne and one of her girlfriends raised 2k of the total) was raised and most of the foodstuffs were donated. Excess monies will be used to help dervice families in need through out the year

In the end 59 turkeys, 135# of ham was served 4 bushell of potatoes were peeled and mashed. Sweet Potatoes, Dressing and Mostacoili rounded out the main course. The local Olive Garden donated all of the salad as well as Panera donating dinner rolls.

Fourty volenteers served 350 sailors and also gave them each a take home dinner that I hope they are enjoying today.

They dance they sang and in generall had a great time.

When they first arrived quite a few came up to us and offered to help serve the meal to which I said we are here to serve them for the service they provicde us on a daily basis,

Next is Christmas where we will serve 100 new recruit who are just out of basic thats a real good time.

Missed time with Mom and my family but they understand and I can celebrate with them at different times.

When I travel and whenever I can I always reach over service mans shoulder to buy them a meal and say "Thank You" they deserve it.

GOD bless them all. If you want to feel safer in this time of strife just look at our military and the people in it and you will feel much better.

Awesome, great gesture!

That's just plain awesome. Well done!

That sounds like a great program, you want to make a soldier or sailor smile give his mail( sprayed with perfume) and a good hot meal, It didnt get better than that when I was in Somilia

Way cool!!