Seniors enjoy Thanksgiving at EMHS

As senior citizens filed in to East Meadow High School last Sunday for the 29th annual Thanksgiving Dinner, the volunteers were ready.

Chefs and helpers in the kitchen waited, as the food was prepared early in the morning and the salads and appetizers were in plates and ready to be served. The waiters and waitresses – members of the East Meadow and Clarke Key Clubs went over their game plan in the next room.

Like most community service events in East Meadow, the actual dinner culminated hours of work and preparation by the Kiwanis of East Meadow, the high school Key Clubs, the middle school Builders Clubs and elementary school K-Kids. That included countless meetings, the setup of the gym, and of course, the cooking of about four dozen turkeys and sides.

For Alexis Alterman, East Meadow Key Club president, serving and interacting with the senior citizens, some of whom wouldn’t otherwise enjoy Thanksgiving dinner, is the best part.

“It’s so rewarding because you are giving back to the seniors for everything they’ve done,” said Alterman, an EMHS senior. “Everybody walks over with a smile on their faces.” Prepared by chefs (and Kiwanis Thanksgiving Dinner co-chairs) Mitchell Allen, Mitchell Skoller, Dr. Frank Saracino and Joan Saracino, senior citizens enjoyed a full Thanksgiving meal that included an appetizer of cheese and crackers followed by salad with a special Kiwanis dressing.

Then came the main course of turkey and sides, along with a vegetable medley and rolls with butter. Dessert and coffee followed the main course.

Throughout the afternoon, seniors were entertained by some tunes of the past, with a performance by the East Meadow Jazz Ensemble, conducted by Stephen Engle. The theme of the day was “Las Vegas,” as decorations provided a casino-like feel to the EMHS gym.

It was the first East Meadow dinner for Frank Sherry of Rockville Centre, who heard about the event through a friend. He was impressed, even before the appetizer was served.

“I can’t believe there are so many people here,” Sherry said. “I think they are wonderful doing this.”

Angie DiGiovanna, a member of the Salisbury Gardens Senior Center, is a regular. It was her 17th time at the EMHS senior citizen dinner.