Preparations Underway for 22nd Annual Thanksgiving Buffet Guided by St. Scholastica and The Twin Ports Community

Release Date: 11/10/11
The 22nd annual free Twin Ports Thanksgiving Buffet, guided by The College of St. Scholastica and the Twin Ports community, will be served from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 24, at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center (DECC).  Turkey dinner with all the trimmings will be provided free of charge, serving an estimated 4,200 meals at the DECC and 1,000 meals to home-bound residents who are in need or would otherwise be alone on the holiday. Everyone is welcome.

Homebound persons in the Duluth-Superior area who would like home-delivered meals should call (218) 723-6484 by Friday, Nov. 18, to request meal delivery.

A buffet  also will be available in Cloquet from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Zion Lutheran Church, 1000 Washington Ave., where about 700 dinners are expected to be served including those that are home-delivered. Home-bound residents in Cloquet and the surrounding area who would like to request home-delivered meals are invited to call (218) 879-9238.

Twin Ports Thanksgiving Buffet senior chair Roz Randorf of the Duluth News Tribune announced that DTA bus service will be free as in years past, thanks to the DTA and a generous donation from a local business sponsor. The bus service will stop at the Holiday Center and diners will take a shuttle from there to the DECC.

Musical entertainment will be part of the day's events in both Duluth and Cloquet.  Santa Claus will also be visiting.

Most volunteer slots are filled for the Duluth event, however some open shifts remain. Volunteers are invited to sign up online for shifts at www.css.edu/thanksgiving.xml. or call the volunteer phone line at (218) 723-6774.

In Cloquet, call Volunteer Services of Carlton County at (218) 879-9238 to volunteer for shifts on Wednesday (food preparation and set-up) and Thursday (food preparation, transportation, service and cleanup).

Monetary donations are welcome.  Please send to: The College of St. Scholastica, attention: Thanksgiving Buffet Fund, 1200 Kenwood Ave., Duluth, MN  55811.

This year's Buffet is in honor of Lawrence "Larry" Sorensen, founder of Upper Lakes Foods food distributors, which donates the turkey for the event. He died in 2005 but Upper Lakes continues to be a major supporter.

Sorensen "was an early donor, which gave the Buffet its momentum," said Jack Teske of St. Scholastica's Food Service, who has directed the Buffet's food operations since its inception.  "Without Upper Lakes Foods' support I'm not sure it would have had the momentum to survive. That first year they donated eight turkeys, and now 22 years later (Upper Lakes is donating) 1,800 pounds of turkey."

DTA BUS SERVICE

Free transportation will be provided to and from the Buffet at the DECC, with a stop at the Holiday Center and shuttles from there. Continuous bus transportation will be available throughout the day from 24th Avenue East to 57th Avenue West.  Call 722-SAVE (722-7283) for times or check the bus schedule at the following pickup sites:

Duluth                                        Superior

Damiano Center                      Peter Rich Center

Chum Drop-In Center            Royalton Manor

YWCA                                         Clifford Lund Apartments

Harbor Highlands                   Solid Rock Mission

Tri-Towers Apartments         14th and Tower

Morgan Park                              Phoenix Villa

Thanksgiving Buffet food facts:

-          Turkey: 2,200 lbs

-          Mashed Potatoes: 1,425 lbs

-          Dressing: 1,070 lbs

-          Gravy: 110 lbs

-          Cranberries: 715 lbs

-          Dinner rolls: 7,125

-          Relish tray: 534 lbs

-          Wild rice salad: 445 lbs

-          Carrots/root vegetables: 535 lbs

-          Corn: 535 lbs

-          Coleslaw: 535 lbs

-          Sweet Potatoes: 535 lbs

The media are invited to photograph volunteers preparing the 22nd Annual Thanksgiving Buffet in the DECC kitchen on Monday, Nov. 21, Tuesday, Nov. 22, and Wednesday, Nov. 23.  Check in at the DECC kitchen.  Food preparation will be from 10  a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday and 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday.  Media coverage will help raise awareness of the dinner among people in need in Duluth, Superior, and Cloquet.

On the day of the Buffet, broadcast and print photographers will be allowed to film in the main serving area (Fitzgerald Room) and the DECC foyer, where Santa and musicians will be located.  Out of respect for the privacy of diners, photographers will be asked not to film in any of the three dining halls.