Thanksgiving Feast: L-S to host luncheon

By Ben Aaronson, Lincoln Journal

November 20, 2008 

Next Wednesday, students at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School will give thanks to area senior citizens for contributions to the Lincoln and Sudbury communities.

For nearly 20 years, L-S students have invited seniors to the school for a Thanksgiving luncheon to share a holiday meal and celebrate the generations coming together.

“I think it’s nice for both the seniors and the students — they get a chance to intermingle. Normally, you don’t get that mix both of the generations, but at the senior citizens Thanksgiving luncheon, you do,” said L-S junior Ariana Gunderson, 16.

Gunderson is organizing this year’s luncheon after helping her older sister, Grace, organize the event the two previous years. Gunderson said she expects just over 50 students and just under 150 seniors to attend the luncheon on Nov. 26.

The annual event was originally hosted by the now defunct Key Club, but for the past 10 years or so, the luncheon has been organized through the MLK Action Project.

The social justice outreach program was launched in 1987 and started with 40 students who volunteered to spend their April vacation volunteering at homeless shelters and the Boston Food Bank. Since that time, the MLK Action Project has grown significantly, with about 25 percent of the student population volunteering every year.

Coordinator Jo Crawford said the MLK Action Project focuses primarily on the inner city, but also does local events, such as monthly trips to a shelter in Framingham, the annual Jimmy Mack March to Defeat AIDS in Sudbury, and the senior citizens Thanksgiving luncheon at L-S.

“It’s just a nice thing to do. It’s something that we can do in the community,” Crawford said.

Crawford said the luncheon has evolved and grown over the years. In addition to the meal, which will include turkey (donated by Sudbury Farms and prepared by the L-S cafeteria staff), cranberries, peas, mashed potatoes and yams, the event will feature live entertainment by the L-S Jazz Band and Accent A Cappella.

“It’s become very successful. It’s developed into quite an entertaining event,” she said.

Karen Santucci, director of the Lincoln Council on Aging, said the luncheon is a very popular event among Lincoln seniors, who enjoy the opportunity to talk with both the students and fellow seniors from Sudbury.

“They really love it. They like the interaction with the high school kids,” Santucci said. “It’s a good social time, the food is always great and it’s great fellowship.”

Kris Kiesel, director of the Sudbury Senior Center, said the event is special because it is a chance for the community to honor and thank senior citizens for all that they do.

“They enjoy the meal wholeheartedly. They love the entertainment. But most of all, they understand that this is being done for them. Sometimes they feel brushed aside, so to have something like this to honor them feels really good,” Kiesel said. “We are so fortunate to have the MLK Action [Project] do this for the seniors every year.”

The senior citizens Thanksgiving luncheon will be held at noon on Wednesday, Nov. 26, in the L-S cafeteria. For more information, call Tom Danko at 978-443-9961 extension 2440.

More Information on US Elder Rights Issues

Copyright © Global Action on Aging
Terms of Use  |  Privacy Policy  |  Contact Us