Gathering community together to share a meal

"The purpose is to serve a Thanksgiving dinner to people who might not otherwise have one," said Gwen Sommer, CEO/executive director of the YMCA of Wooster. "But it turns into a community event where lots of people come together and enjoy a meal and each other."

Since 2009 the YMCA has provided a traditional Thanksgiving-style dinner to local families free of charge, the week prior to the holiday.

Everyone is welcome to attend the YMCA's community Thanksgiving dinner on Wednesday, Nov. 15 from 6-7:30 p.m. RSVPs are appreciated but not required.

Lori Colon, the current childcare director at The Learning Academy Daycare and Preschool, came up with the community event.

"My original thought to having the Thanksgiving dinner was to have families come to a dinner with their kids and just be together," Colon said. "The first year we had the Thanksgiving dinner we had well over 100 in attendance and quickly outgrew our space at The SPOT."

The second year the venue was changed to the YMCA facility, and over 300 attended. "Year after year it has grown," Colon said. "We now serve around 500 people."

It takes around 100 volunteers to put on the event, from setup to cooking, serving and cleanup. The Y partners with area organizations for table and chair donations, live music and decorations.

"We have people from all walks of life come and join us," Colon said. "We have lower income, well-to-do, single, young and old all join us for this community-wide dinner. For some this is a night to reduce their loneliness and join others in a home-cooked meal. For some this is a place to get to know new people; others it's a simple way to give thanks together."

Cash donations of any amount are welcomed to help cover costs as well as donations of whole turkeys.

Commercial Savings Bank in Wooster is donating all the hams. More local companies are needed to help sponsor the event.

On Thanksgiving day the YMCA offers an opportunity for the community to give back to support Y programming, have fun and get in a workout first thing in the morning. The Turkey Trot is a 5K run/walk on Thursday, Nov. 23 at 8 a.m. at Wooster High School.

"It's a lot of fun," Sommer said. "We get over 200 people. We get a lot of families. We get people dressed in turkey hats and matching outfits."

The focus of the holiday run/walk is definitely fun. "It's not really timed," Sommer said. "We set up a clock so the serious runners know their time."

Laney Gilmore, youth and teen director, is the disc jockey. "I feel like it's a way to give back and say how thankful you are," Gilmore said, "because all the money goes back into helping people."

The funds raised go to support scholarships, especially for kids in the summer camps. Of the more than 400 children who participate in summer programs at the Y, over 80 percent receive financial aid.

YMCA sports director Lindsey Steiner is in charge of the Turkey Trot. "A lot of families come with 10 or 20 people," Steiner said. "It's a way to start off the day a healthy way so then you can go and fill your belly with some good food."

"I think many people don't know how much we do here," Sommer said. "We have sports, fitness, after-school programs, summer camp, silver sneakers, health and fitness classes for adults."

The YMCA of Wooster also has a separate facility in Wooster that houses karate, tumbling and gymnastics programs. Additionally they manage the high school pool with senior classes, water fitness, swim lessons, and competitive and lap swimming for youth and adults.

The list doesn't stop there. The YMCA also manages all of the city pools in the summer, runs a daycare center out of Luk in Wooster and just acquired a daycare program in Creston.

Whether it's bringing people together at the table, on the track or in the pool, the YMCA is all about community, fitness and providing opportunities to all.

The Thanksgiving dinner is free. The Turkey Trot is $25 for members and $30 for nonmembers. Everyone preregistering for the race will receive a Dri-FIT long-sleeve T-shirt.

To learn more, call the YMCA at 330-264-3131. The YMCA of Wooster is located at 680 Woodland Ave., Wooster.