This holiday season is quickly coming to a close, and Cortez can boast of another very successful Community Christmas Dinner. Such events are always the result of lots of folks working together. This year we had many wonderful volunteers who showed up on Christmas Day, including a lot of young people, who helped cook, serve and clean up. Thanks to you folks many hands make light work.
We had a lot of help from local businesses and institutions, and we want our community to know who they are and perhaps say thanks the next time you see these folks:
The Cortez Cultural Center helped coordinate this years event and allowed us to set up an account under their 501c3 designation to accept monetary donations. City Market, Walmart, and Sysco all provided substantial discounts on items purchased through them, and the M-CHS Future Farmers of America donated cases of oranges and lemons. Slavens donated paper and cleaning products and loaned us a large coffeemaker and beverage servers. We borrowed a coffeemaker from the American Legion as well. Cliffrose and Four Seasons Nursery donated many lovely poinsettias for the tables and even went the extra mile by delivering them! The Spark Reed family donated fresh citrus in their mothers memory. She had done this many years previously, and this year the family carried on the tradition in her name. The RE-1 school district warehouse allowed us to have our food delivered there and stored until the big day, and we cant thank Sandy and her staff enough for this courtesy 35 turkeys, six cases of frozen corn, assorted desserts and all the trimmings for a Christmas dinner take up lots of storage space and couldnt be ordered at the last minute.
Our thanks also go to the Senior Center for giving access to the County Annex and allowing us to use steam table pans and pots. Thank you, ladies. You made my life much easier in that I didnt have to cart in cooking pans and then return them! Thanks to the Journal and to Suzy Meyer. The paper ran numerous articles and ads informing the community about this annual event, and the editor, Suzy Meyer, attended committee meeting to offer her expertise gleaned from years of coordinating this event herself.
Thank you to those who made monetary donations to this years dinner. It would not have happened without your support. Any community members caring to donate to next years dinner may do so at Vectra Bank or the Cortez Cultural Center.
And finally, thank you Mitchell Toms and committee members, Greg Kemp, Judy Swaim, and Pat and Larry Tradlener. Mitchell was the official go-fer and ran numerous errands, moving food and equipment from place to place more times than anyone cares to count, and each committee member was responsible for a particular job and performed it splendidly. Being part of such a wonderful, dedicated group as well as the many volunteers who showed up on the 25th is why I love being part of this event. It is Christmas in action.
Karen Sheek
