CHS says thank you to community with free dinner

The annual free community Thanksgiving dinner at Coshocton High School was held Nov. 20 as a way for the school to thank the community for its support. This is the 22nd year for the dinner, and it is still a popular event for the people of Coshocton.

This year the meal included turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, dressing, a roll, a pumpkin cup cake, and a drink.

Jim and Cathy Waibel and daughter Mary along with Coshocton High School cooks Elise and Jennifer prepare everything for the dinner. Elise and Jennifer start cooking right after the students' lunch break is over. 

"Everything is donated," Cathy Waibel said. "Different businesses donate everything — plates, plastic ware, green beans — and then donated money buys the turkeys and everything else we need. After school lunch today, the cooks started right in getting everything ready. I cannot say enough about these cooks. They are fantastic. They started right after lunch and have been cooking all day. Elise and Jennifer cook, and Mary and my husband Jim help also.”

One-hundred student volunteers interact with the community by serving, helping with food, cleaning up and providing entertainment.

Emily Truex is a junior at CHS.

"I feel like it is important to have the Thanksgiving dinner every year because it brings people together and gives them an opportunity to enjoy themselves in the company of other people," she said. "I enjoy seeing it because you can see how happy it makes people."

Phoenix Celeschi also is a junior at CHS.

"I like doing the Thanksgiving dinner because it brings out the best in everybody — seeing all their smiles and how thankful they are and just getting together," she said. "It brings together not only families, but students and friends. The FCCLA, Key Club and the basketball team are coming to help, as well as our choir in the lobby singing."

"This has always been a fun event for us and, to me, one of the kickoff events for the holiday season, the week before Thanksgiving," Principal Scott Loomis said. "It seems like the people get to come in and see our kids and interact with them. To me, that's what it's all about because people say so many negative things about kids these days. When they come in here and interact with them, have a conversation, and see their smiling faces and hear our music and our chamber choir is ready to sing. Mr. Hardesty and the jazz band are performing. It's a great event for Coshocton High School to say thank you to our community for everything they do for our kids."

Brenda and Dale Caley just live down by the high school tennis courts.

"Our daughter went to school here and graduated here, and we like to come and meet with people and have a good time. We're enjoying ourselves, and the food is good. We have been coming close to 20 years,” Brenda Caley said.