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Holiday Dinner this Sunday
500 expected for large, local event

<br>Submitted photo<br>
Bentley the bear will be given to children at this year’s Community Holiday Dinner this Sunday.

<br>Submitted photo<br> Bentley the bear will be given to children at this year’s Community Holiday Dinner this Sunday.

A large crowd is anticipated for this years annual Community Holiday Dinner. The dinner, to be held Sunday at Doc Holliday's Steakhouse and Saloon at 950 N. Grand Canyon Blvd., is slated to begin at noon. A number of civic organizations and other groups helped make this year's dinner a reality, said organizer Bud Parenteau.

"It started out as a Kiwanis function and now we've incorporated all the service clubs in town: Rotary, American Legion, Williams Volunteer Fire Department (WVFD), just about every organization you can think of is helping in some way or another," Parenteau said, adding that over 500 people are expected to come out for this year's dinner.

"Last year we had, I think, 457," he said. "Everybody is invited. In fact, anybody that gets water with the city will have a flyer in their water bill."

Every child in attendance, besides getting a special holiday meal, will also receive a stuffed "Bentley the Bear" to mark the occasion.

"Every year they have a Christmas gift through Avon," Parenteau said. "Virginia Quinn started getting donations and we have enough donations to give every kid (one)."

Santa Claus will also be present at the Community Holiday Dinner, Parenteau said, courtesy of the WVFD.

"We also divide the kids into six groups, from the youngest to age 12, and each group - the older kids get a chance to win a boys' or girls' bicycle. The younger ones get a comparable prize. Everything is donated. Kiwanis picks up anything that's left," Parenteau said.

A number of local organizations contributed time or supplies for this year's dinner as well, he said.

"The food bank donated 10 turkeys this year. There will be turkey and ham, the dressing and the regular stuff that goes with a turkey dinner. Ken Alexander at Rosa's; every year he stores all the food at his place, as we get it, until we start," Parenteau said. "Doc Holliday's and Tom Kennelly are providing the space no charge. His chef is cooking the turkey for us and all the Kiwanis members will go over there and do the carving and de-boning."

Donation cans will also be available at the dinner to help support the function.

"The donations have really helped, because feeding that many people; there is still quite a bit of expense in food. Rotary gave us $500 and the Masons gave us $250, Legion gave us a couple hundred dollars, the Lions a couple, so it all adds up. That's where it all comes together, they come in and help as volunteers, but they also help financially and it just brings the community together that much better," Parenteau said.


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