Tomah Chamber & Visitors Center Newsletter November 2019 Newsletter_digital | Page 14

So much to be grateful for...
and so much to give!
Let me start off by saying that I can’t believe it is November already!
This year has flown by. November, of course, always makes me think of
Thanksgiving and gratitude for lives we live. As I think of a few thing
I am particularly thankful for, I am humbled. I have a beautiful family,
including a loving husband who somehow forgives all of my hopelessly
flawed characteristics, and three very active, healthy and sharp kids who
keep me on my toes every minute that I am with them. I have healthy
parents, grandparents, and many other family members. I have wonderful friends who challenge me with witty
conversation, humor and ideas…always provoking me to push myself and to be better. I work with two of the
most amazing, kind and talented women on the planet. I have a warm house, plenty of food and clothing. And, I
get to serve Tomah, the town I love and call home. (Thank you all for that last part, by the way). There’s truly a lot
to be thankful for.
For these reasons and for the 27th consecutive year, we will be hosting a free community Thanksgiving Dinner.
This year, we will be moving it back to the original location: The Tee Pee Building at 810 Superior Avenue. The
dinner continues in memory of my late father in law, Ed Thompson. He started the dinner because he had gone
through a divorce, leaving him alone, without his family. He was broke and had lost his business. He had hit a
very low point in his life. He had no Thanksgiving dinner and when the neighbors brought over scraps from their
feast to feed his dog, Ace. Ed ate those scraps as his dinner.
He vowed to not repeat that year. But he also vowed that no one else should have to either. So, he picked himself
up, dusted himself off, bought back his business and started rallying the community to form this free dinner. He
started with the Tomah Rotary Club and the Tomah Lions Club being the first volunteers and donors. Many
others also contributed. The dinner not only serves a traditional Thanksgiving meal, but it also feeds souls. It
provides companionship to people that may otherwise be alone. It is so much more than a turkey dinner.
This year, I invite you to help me. Whether it is through your gift of service, money, meal deliveries, pies or
planning, I need your help. I need your help in not only those areas mentioned, but moreover, I need your help to
make sure that no one is missing the holiday meal. I need your help to make sure no one is sitting alone for this
holiday, feeling lost, lonely and abandon. I need your help to make sure Tomah is a true “community”…by taking
care of one another. Please use your resources to identify those would enjoy Thanksgiving spent together and
either make them aware of the dinner, give them a ride, or make sure they have a meal delivered if they are home
bound. I can’t do this without you. Please look at your time, talent and resources to figure out if and how you can
share your abundance and privilege with others who may need a little on this day.
As always, we will begin the dinner at 11:00 AM with a prayer. We will serve the traditional Thanksgiving meal
until either the food is gone, or everyone has been fed…this is usually until about 12:30 or 1:00. Pies can be
dropped off at Murray’s on Main. Monetary donations can be accepted the day of or mailed to: Mr. Ed’s Com-
munity Thanksgiving Dinner. Volunteers can call me at 343-4956 to sign up. Orders for food deliveries can be
requested by calling the same number. (Please leave a voicemail)!
Tomah is what it is because of all of you. Thank you for your help with this and so many of the other civic projects
that go on in this town!
Happy Thanksgiving!