All are welcome to join Operation Big Turkey, a free Christmas Eve meal. No reservations needed! Take a seat and celebrate the holidays with your community as volunteers serve a delicious turkey dinner. Dinner includes roast turkey, stuffing, gravy, veggies, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and cake. A delicious vegetarian lasagna that contains no meat or dairy is also available for those with special dietary requirements.
In its 12th year, Operation Big Turkey is a non-affiliated group of more than 200 volunteers who come together on Christmas Eve to prepare and serve around 2,000 turkey dinners to anyone who’d like to have a meal.
This gathering is made possible by local businesses and volunteers who have helped over the years. Local grocer Farm Boy donates most of the food and Rideau Bakery provides the bread for the stuffing, which is made by the faculty chefs and students from Algonquin College’s School of Hospitality and Tourism. Preparation of a full made-from-scratch turkey dinner begins on December 23. Other key sponsors include The Westin Ottawa, Hertz, Sheet Metal Works International Local 47, Boudreault Ltée, Chez Lili, The Printing House and Gusto Worldwide Media.
“Christmas can be a really hard time of year for people who have no one to share it with or who can’t make ends meet,” says Chris Knight, a founding member of Big Turkey. “Everyone is welcome to join and all you have to do is show up at any of the five locations. Our volunteers will seat you and then serve you a really good meal. Enjoy each other’s company and we’ll do the rest.”
On Saturday, December 24, volunteers will welcome and feed guests at the Jack Purcell Community Centre, 320 Jack Purcell Lane (near Elgin and Gilmour) from 3:30 to 6:30 pm.
For more information about Operation Big Turkey, please contact Marley Ransom at 613-730-1728.