St. Scholastica takes Thanksgiving to the DECC free buffet

This Thanksgiving, The College of St. Scholastica hosted the 36th annual Twin Ports Region Thanksgiving Day Buffet at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center (DECC). This tradition brings together Twin Ports neighbors for a gathering filled with generosity and gratitude.

“It means a lot to us at St. Scholastica; it’s a real big part of our mission and our values,” shared Monica Hendrickson, the event organizer, with Fox21 Online. “And for those of us on the leadership committee, we all come from different backgrounds, but we all believe in one thing, and that’s giving back to our community.”

Over 700 volunteers dedicated their time in preparation for the event, with efforts starting weeks in advance. Hendrickson shared with Northern News Now that the effort took an estimated 1,000 hours to fully prepare and set up. “We were prepping all week. Everything is a traditional meal, and we make everything from scratch, so hopefully it’s as good as what you would have at your grandma’s,” she said. “But we’re making food for over 7,000 people today.”

“We have volunteers, obviously, the day of. That’s where we have our biggest crews,” Hendrickson continued with WDIO. “But then, throughout the week, we have various family teams that come in to volunteer. We have corporate teams that come in to volunteer, and it’s kind of the same people year after year.”

The event holds significance for many, including the community members who attend and volunteer. Longtime volunteer David Baker noted, “I think the most important thing is we have the time and the opportunity. It’s something we’ve done every year for the past few years, and it’s something we can do to give back to the community.”

In addition to serving meals at the DECC, volunteers spent the day delivering food to homebound individuals across the Twin Ports. Northern News Now also spoke with lead volunteer Kala Pedersen, who helped coordinate the home delivery meal list throughout the month of November: “It’s really special to be able to reach these people around the holidays and make them feel hope and support from our community. It’s a community effort, and I think that Duluth really shows up for our community for Thanksgiving because of this event.”

We want to thank our many volunteers as well as our major sponsors, supporting sponsors and community donors. Their support made this year’s community event possible. We couldn’t do this without you!