Join family and friends at community Thanksgiving tables

LAFAYETTE — All across the country dads will cheer for their teams, uncles will make bad jokes and Americans will play nice with their in-laws for Thanksgiving.

In Lafayette, the holiday is all about community. Three events — the Hanna Center Community Thanksgiving Meal, Teays River's Friendsgiving and the Greater Lafayette Interfaith Community Thanksgiving Celebration — are taking place in the spirit of togetherness, whether that be family, friends or strangers sharing a meal.

Here's the breakdown of how many potatoes were mashed, how many cranberries crushed and how many Turkey Toms squawked for the last time.

50 volunteers 

The prep for the Hanna Center Community Thanksgiving Meal started 9 a.m. Saturday morning when the crew of volunteers started prepping 10 turkeys, eight hams and two cases apiece of corn and green beans.

Not to mention the 40 pounds of sweet potatoes that were peeled by hand.

Between Saturday and Sunday this crew put in at least seven hours of manpower making everything from scratch, Hanna Center Executive Director Heather Maddox said.

"It feels like your family's kitchen on Thanksgiving only multiplied," she said.

When everything is said and done, community members can come to the North End Community Center on Elmwood Avenue from noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday afternoon to enjoy a free meal.

Two new beers 

Teays River Brewing & Public House on S. Ninth Street is hosting its first ever Friendsgiving party on Wednesday. The brewery will stay open late and is offering food and drink specials from its newly expanded menu starting at 4 p.m.

This week Teays is releasing two festive flavors — sweet potato ale and persimmon ale.

In addition to discounted growlers, the brewery will be participating in Black Friday and Small Business Saturday sales as well.

75 turkeys

The annual Greater Lafayette Interfaith Community Thanksgiving Celebration goes from noon to 2 p.m. on Thursday and opens up take-out options at 1 p.m. It's celebrated at Central Presbyterian Church near downtown Lafayette.

During those two hours the Lafayette Urban Ministry normally serves between 600 to 800 folks — that's a lot of turkey legs.

But no one will have to fight over the wishbone this year.

Lafayette Brewing Company, Purdue Federal Credit Union and five local churches have donated 75 turkeys to the meal.

Nationally,  an estimated 46 million turkeys are eaten each Thanksgiving, according to the National Turkey Federation.

1,400 servings of mashed potatoes

Last year, participants at the Lafayette Urban Ministry's annual celebration gobbled up the mashed potatoes, stuffing and green bean casseroles leaving volunteers to wrap up those tins early, said Kathy Parker, director of the Greater Lafayette Interfaith Thanksgiving Celebration.

This year they won't run out.

Parker re-upped the mashed potatoes donation with KFC and called on MCL Cafeterias and Jane's Gourmet Deli and Catering to bring extra stuffing in addition to the collective six pans of dressing they're contributing.

Food donations and volunteer sign ups are still open on the LUM website, lumserve.org.

10 gallons of gravy

All of those mashed potatoes at Lafayette Urban Ministry will need gravy and Oliverio's Southland Restaurant is there to help. The comfort food experts at Oliverio's are donating two five gallon buckets of gravy for the feast. 

Those looking to carbo load can also sop up that gravy with the donated bread from Great Harvest.

IF YOU GO:

Hanna Center Thanksgiving Dinner is taking place Sunday from noon- 3 p.m. in the Northend Community Center gym located at 2000 Elmwood Ave in Lafayette.

Friendsgiving is Wednesday from 4 p.m. to close (owners are keeping it open past 10 p.m. for the event) at Teays River Brewing & Public House located at 3000 S. Ninth Street Suite A in Lafayette.

Greater Lafayette Interfaith Thanksgiving Celebration is Thursday from noon to 2 p.m. in the Education Building in Central Presbyterian Church located at 31 North 7th Street downtown Lafayette.

Contact Journal & Courier reporter Lindsay Moore at 765-420-5205, lrmoore@jconline.com and follow her on Twitter: @_lindsaymoore.