JoAnn Kellner, left, makes her way through the dinner line and stops to exchange pleasantries with Duayne Johnson, who volunteered to serve food during last year’s Christmas Day dinner at the Roadhouse.
Linda Vance dons her festive gear to volunteer Thursday at the Roadhouse. Vance was one of many volunteers who made the annual event possible, according to organizer Lee Grim.
Berta Hagen and Ron Wilcox are all smiles as they volunteer Thursday.
A group of volunteers serve food to about 400 people Thursday.
Ranier Mayor Dennis Wagner and Carol Grim work behind the scenes Thursday at the Roadhouse.
Nancy and Wayne Lindstrom help package to-go meals Thursday. Organizer Lee Grim said more than 300 meals were delivered to people in the community on Christmas Day.
Anna Windels and the rest of her family take time out of their Christmas to serve members of the community.
Christmas spirit and the smell of dinner was in the air Thursday during the ninth annual Christmas Day dinner at the Roadhouse.
According to Lee Grim, one of the event’s organizers, this year’s meal was served to about 400 people at the Roadhouse and more than 300 meals were delivered to members of the community from the Elks Lodge in the morning and the Roadhouse in the afternoon.
“Overall, the number of meals served was up a little from last year,” Grim said.
The organizer said he was excited to report the free-will offering bin at the Roadhouse collected $1,778 to be donated to the Falls Hunger Coalition.
“We’re very pleased with that,” he said. “And we had more donations sent right to the food shelf.”
As in the past, the dinner brings together all walks of community life. This year, Grim said, he saw faces he hasn’t seen at the dinner before.
Grim said feedback he received from people was the food was good and everyone felt welcomed.
“The people who ate were happy to be here and the people who volunteered were happy to serve people of the community,” he said.
Mayors of both International Falls and Ranier rolled up their sleeves to help make the meal a success. Grim said Bob Anderson, mayor of International Falls, and his family helped at the Elks Lodge Thursday morning and Dennis Wagner, mayor of Ranier, got his hands wet in the kitchen of the Roadhouse washing dishes.
“That says something right there,” Grim said. “Both community leaders helping out really pulls this all together.”
In fact, Grim said when talking to Anderson, the mayor spoke of the pride he had in his community and the volunteers’ willingness to help out and come together.
Echoing the mayor’s comments, Grim said there were also new volunteers. Without people to help, he said the annual feast wouldn’t be possible.
“We had a tremendous kitchen crew,” he said. “Without them, it would have been tough to pull this all together. New volunteers came, worked hard and were here to see things through right to the end. Cooperation is part of a true community and I think it’s terrific that they do that on Christmas Day. I owe a big thanks to everybody to helped out. They are what make this thing come together.”
