Advertisement 1

More than 200 at Yuletide banquet in Port Dover

Article content

The Port Dover Lions Community Centre was alive Christmas Day with the sound of a large crowd singing Christmas carols.

Advertisement 2
Story continues below
Article content

A total of 230 in all came through the door on Dec. 25 for the free community banquet, which was organized and sponsored by several congregations and individuals in the local area.

The crowd was slightly larger than last year’s, something which convinced the organizing committee that the move to the Lions centre from the St. Paul’s Anglican Church parish hall several years ago was the right thing to do.

Article content

“It’s not a religious event,” said chief organizer Cathy Hughes, of Port Dover. “It’s an event for those who will be celebrating Christmas alone.

“A lot of people will have celebrated Christmas already with their family and won’t have anything to do today other than sit around and stare at each other. We tell our volunteers it’s Christmas, put a smile on your face, and wish everyone a merry Christmas. That’s very, very important.”

Advertisement 3
Story continues below
Article content

Many families at Christmas are taking the pressure off by farming out their cooking to a caterer. The organizers of last Wednesday’s event – which includes members of church congregations in Selkirk and Port Dover – are doing much the same on a larger scale.

They ordered up seven turkeys representing 120 pounds of meat pre-cooked from Townsend Butchers in Simcoe. Rounding out the main course were two 25-pound pork shoulders and 80 pounds of spuds courtesy of Norfolk Potatoes.

While much of the cooking is contracted out, volunteers are still needed to serve all that delicious food. They are also needed to help seat guests and hand out carol sheets, with Linda Woodruff, keyboardist at Knox Presbyterian Church in Port Dover, providing accompaniment at the front of the hall on piano.

Advertisement 4
Story continues below
Article content

“I love doing something like this for the community,” says George Araujo, general manager of the Norfolk County Fair.

“I can’t think of anything better to do other than to spend Christmas with my family, which I did this morning. It’s a great opportunity to connect with the community.”

Former Port Dover Coun. John Wells has long been a fixture at the event in a volunteer capacity. Wells reports life is a lot less hectic since he wrapped up his long career as Port Dover’s representative on Norfolk council.

“I’ve been doing what my wife tells me to do,” Wells said. “And when she’s not, the kids are telling me what to do. It’s been pretty quiet over the past year, but that’s OK.”

Article content
Comments
You must be logged in to join the discussion or read more comments.
Join the Conversation

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.

Latest National Stories
    News Near Tillsonburg
      This Week in Flyers