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Rotary to host free drive thru event

By MELISSA BILL - | Dec 16, 2020

news@breezenewspapers.com

On Friday, Dec. 25, the Rotary Club of Lehigh Acres will host a free holiday dinner in Lehigh Acres.

This year the event will be a drive thru/pick up event. The annual Christmas holiday meal will begin at 11 a.m. and continue until 2 p.m. at St. Raphael’s Catholic Church at 2514 Lee Blvd., Lehigh Acres- across from Walmart.

According to Fred Elliott, the coordinator of the project, this is the 14th year in a row that the Rotary Club has hosted this event.

“Last year over 500 people came to enjoy Christmas Dinner,” Elliott said in a Rotary press announcement. “Because of COVID-19 we will be providing all the meals to go. The volunteers will put the dinners right into your vehicle. The dinner on Christmas Day is free like all other dinners over the years that the Rotary Club and its volunteers have prepared.”

The Christmas meal will include a traditional ham dinner, with all the sides and dessert.

“We are going to have enough food; we always do.” Elliott said.

Elliott highlighted the importance of volunteers in making this event a success.

“Volunteers are an important part of making all of this possible,” Elliott said. “For that reason, we would ask volunteers to come to the parish hall at around 10 a.m. if they can. Getting there a little earlier will really help us all out a lot.”

The Rotary Club of Lehigh Acres has 28 active members, each of them participate in some way to make the holiday dinners special.

“We have a great group of Rotarians and they are interested in our community. That is why we have gone so long and we plan to keep it up,” Elliott said. I want to remind everyone the dinner is ‘absolutely free and everyone is welcome.’ We really want to put a special emphasis on inviting people who live alone or people who have no relatives here. We want them to find their way to pick up our Christmas dinner.”

According to Elliott, each year, the number of people who come to the Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners is increasing and many of the residents come with family members and friends. The local event has become a holiday tradition and a time for togetherness.

Elliott stressed that the dinner is free, but there will be a small “wishing well” container off to the side for donations.

“The wishing well is there for anyone who wants to donate. They may drop in money to help pay for the dinner, but that is only for people who can afford to do it,” Elliott said. “We know that the times are hard for most people who come and we do not expect them to have to pay, that’s a fact. They can give if they have the money, but the dinner is completely free and nobody should feel embarrassed by coming through without giving. That is why the jar is off to the side.”

“It’s Christmas Dinner and we want Lehigh residents to come and enjoy themselves. It’s a great way to celebrate Christmas,” Elliott said.

The Rotary Club of Lehigh Acres mission is to provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through its fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders. Rotary Clubs are nonpolitical, nonreligious, and open to all cultures, races, and creeds.

For more information on the Lehigh Acres Rotary Club visit https://www.facebook.com/LehighRotary/