By 11:30 a.m., about 230 people, young and old, packed the building as about 50 volunteers plated and served a freshly prepared turkey dinner with mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans and cranberry sauce.
Denise Westbrook, of local dance studio Come Dance Tonight, stepped in as last-minute DJ for the event, keeping the crowd entertained with upbeat Christmas music.
For over two decades, the annual event has been hosted by volunteers who elect to spend their holiday serving their community, with some starting as early as Christmas Eve to set up tables and unload storage.
“It makes you proud of where you live,” said Jerry Berg, of Cortez.
On Christmas Day, the first round of volunteers headed in for duty at 7 a.m. to start deboning and carving the 30 turkeys donated by City Market.
Greg Kemp, a 12-year volunteer on the dinner delivery team which takes orders and drives them to those who can’t make it out, said the annual event is the best way to spent the holidays.
“It’s one way of contributing, and giving your two cents back,” said Kemp. “It’s such a great concept.”
Mitchell Toms, a long-time volunteer and self-described “sheep herder” for the massive event, said that it takes roughly $2,500 to host the dinner every year, and donations come in year-round. Local businesses including Sysco, City Market and Walmart give the group discounts on the side dishes. The Montezuma-Cortez School district provides warehouse facilities for food delivery and storage. Cliffrose and Four Seasons Greenhouse donate dozens of poinsettias to decorate the building. Attendees and volunteers bake desserts for the crowd.
This year, Montezuma-Cortez FFA donated 14 boxes of citrus fruit for guests. “It’s a big community thing,” said Toms. “It’s not about rich or poor. Anyone is invited to come out and meet their neighbors, or friends and enjoy a meal together on this one day of the year.”
jgonzalez@cortezjournal.com