A Thanksgiving to Remember
By Melissa Aziz Board secretary
I
was excited to attend my very first AWCH
Thanksgiving event since joining as a member in 2020 . It was held in a big open space at DESY , which was perfect for hosting what was , quite honestly , the largest Thanksgiving dinner I ’ ve been to yet ! One hundred-plus members and their families joined , bringing along an amazing collection of homemade sides and desserts to share . The club had organized the most delicious , moist turkey and gravy , and we had very happy bellies indeed after the feast .
The evening started with a warm welcome by our club president , Carol Harbers , who then introduced us to a special guest , new US Counsel General Jason Chue . It was great to have access to such an interesting guest who was spending his first Thanksgiving here in Hamburg . He even
brought a couple of bottles of wine for those in need . After the opening remarks , everyone lined up and anxiously awaited their turn to fill plates of Thanksgiving yumminess . Rumor has it that some went back for third and fourth helpings !
And then , on to the desserts ! “ Hold on ,” we were told ! First would come the readings from all the “ gratitude pumpkins ” that had been written on during dinner . You could hear the groans of the children , and some adults , who had already carefully planned a stealth attack on the goodies on the tables . Pumpkin pie , brownies , cheesecake , cookies , and more were on display , and once word was given , the charge to the dessert tables equaled that of the main meal .
After filling up on sugar-based carbs , turkey comas began to settle across the crowd . Luckily , Tracy Moede was able to liven up the crowd with a few interactive games . This got most people moving once again , enabling them to make one final pass at the dessert table !
All in all , it was a wonderful evening which would not have been possible but for the help and efforts of many , many generous people : the set-up team , turkey team , clean-up crew , and everyone who brought so much deliciousness to share . I can ’ t wait for next year already !