LeRoy Winkel, who along with his family, has volunteered at the Community Christmas Day Dinner at the Roadhouse for about four years. He continued the tradition of serving food at the event last year. Winkel said he and his family choose to spend time on Christmas helping others because it is a way to give back to the community and “it is just fun.”
What started as an idea to the help the community almost a decade ago, has grown into serving hundreds of people.
The annual Christmas Day dinner, in its ninth year, is set for 2-6 p.m. Dec. 25 at the Roadhouse on Highway 11 East.
“Our goal was to have something on Christmas every year,” said Lee Grim, one of the event’s veteran organizers. “Carl Brown, who owned the Roadhouse, came to me wanting to do something for the community.”
Grim said the dinner has gained a reputation of being a popular gathering place on the holiday. Last year, about 700 people were served.
“When we first started out, we were calling places to donate food and help volunteer,” he said. “Now, they call us.”
Grim stressed the event’s the success is a result of the generosity of businesses that donate food and supplies as well as the volunteers who band together on Christmas.
“Our community is very generous,” he said.
The organizer said when the first community Christmas dinner was served in 2006, a committee was established to nurture the success of the event. Now, however, Grim said people involved in the event no longer meet as a committee.
“Now that we’ve got things pretty much under control, we don’t have to meet,” he said. “It just comes together so nicely.”
The dinner is for anyone and everyone who would like to attend. Circumstances do not designate who is eligible to attend the dinner, Grim said. For those who celebrate Christmas only by attending the community meal, the event is as much about fellowship and togetherness as it is about the food.
Just as it has been done in the past, people who would like to attend the meal, but are without transportation to the Roadhouse, can call for a ride free of charge.
Those wishing to reserve a ride should call the Roadhouse at 286-5550 and provide a phone number, address and pick-up time.
And for the community members who are home bound, but would like a meal, Grim said take-out dinners will once again be organized by the members of Elks Lodge 1599.
“We will have meals on wheels again,” Grim said. “The Elks members will provide that and we are very thankful they do.”
Meals will be delivered from 3-5 p.m. To sign up, call Holy Trinity Episcopal Church at 283-8606 or the Koochiching Senior Center at 283-3737.
The Christmas Day dinner is based entirely on volunteers, and Grim said people are still needed to help make it a success. Volunteers are needed to serve food, bus tables, greet people at the door, wash dishes, etc. Anyone interested can call Holy Trinity Episcopal Church at 283-8606 or email the church at holytrinityif@midconetwork.com.
“Our goal is to have something at Christmas every year,” Grim said. “We hope to keep the momentum going.”
LeRoy Winkel, who along with his family, has volunteered at the Community Christmas Day Dinner at the Roadhouse for about four years. He continued the tradition of serving food at the event last year. Winkel said he and his family choose to spend time on Christmas helping others because it is a way to give back to the community and “it is just fun.”
The 2014-15 winter trail season is underway in Voyageurs National Park.
The green trail from Rainy Lake/Frank’s Bay to Kabetogama Lake/Ash River is open and staked.
All other snowmobile trails are closed at this time, but ice checking and overland portage clearing continues. Rangers have placed some thin ice signs in the park, but due to changing temperature conditions and the early nature of the season, anyone traveling onto frozen lake surfaces should use caution.
The snowmobile speed limit within the park is 45 mph on frozen lake surfaces and 25 mph on all overland portages.
Ski trails do not have significant snow accumulation to allow grooming at this time. Snowshoe trails are open, but not packed, and snow accumulation is poor.
To reduce hazards to snowmobile users, all ice blocks are to be immediately chopped up, submerged, or hauled to land. Placement of equipment or any type of structure must more than 50 feet off the edge of all ice roads and 50 feet off the centerline of all snowmobile trails. Written authorization from the park is required for individuals to plow more than 300 feet on any lake surfaces within the park.
The Rainy Lake Visitor Center is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. During business hours, the visitor center offers maps, information, and hot cocoa. Snowshoe loans and cross-country ski rentals have not started for the season.
The most up to date winter trail conditions are available on our website at www.nps.gov/voya.
