[StBernard] St Bernard Thanksgiving Celebration

[Westley Annis]

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The 2008 St Bernard Thanksgiving Celebration will begin at 11 AM on
Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 2008 with a CROP Walk at Sidney Torres
Park in Chalmette. CROP stands for Communities Responding to Overcome
Poverty, and CROP Walks give people an easy way to fight hunger both
world-wide and in their local community. By asking sponsors to make a
donation for each mile that they walk, CROP Walk participants raise
money to help feed hungry families locally and all around the world. 

Anyone interested in registering for the St Bernard CROP Walk should
pick up an information pack at the Community Center of St Bernard,
1107 LeBeau St in Arabi on Mondays – Fridays from 10AM – 5 PM. Or
walkers can sign up online any time at:

http://cts.vresp.com/c/?CommunityCenterofStB/09267e09a2/fb884231b7/7e9a438a25/pg=entry&fr_id=2660


While walking alone is always an option, many participants have fun
walking as a group with their families, friends and co-workers. Once a
walker has registered, whether through the online website or at the
Community Center of St Bernard, they decide how far they want to walk
and then ask friends, relatives, neighbors or business associates to
sponsor them.

CROP walkers can choose to give the money they raise to a variety of
approved international hunger-fighting agencies such as Project HOPE,
Church World Service, CARE, Outreach International, or Habitat for
Humanity International. 75% of the total funds raised by the St
Bernard CROP Walk will go to these international relief agencies,
while 25% will remain in St Bernard Parish to support the Mustard Seed
Food Distribution for low-income families at the Community Center of
St Bernard. 

The CROP Walk will start at 11 AM at the main pavilion in Sidney
Torres Park, rain or shine. The park is located behind the Frederick
Sigur Civic Center at 8245 W. Judge Perez Drive in Chalmette.  Walkers
should park in the Civic Center parking lot, and are encouraged to
arrive 20-30 minutes early to sign in and receive route maps and
bottled water. There will be a Welcoming Ceremony to start the event,
complete with live music. The CROP Walk route at Torres Park will be a
one-mile loop, so walkers can go around as often as they want to meet
their personal distance goal. 

The walk will end at 12:30 PM with an Awards Ceremony to honor both
the individual and the group who have raised the most contributions,
as well to recognize the organization (school, church, business, etc)
who had the most walkers participating. 

Anyone who is not able to be in St Bernard Parish on November 27 to
walk at Torres Park is welcome to register for the St Bernard CROP
Walk online and then do their own personal walk, wherever they may be
on Thanksgiving Day. And every participant, no matter where they walk,
will receive a Certificate of Thanks to commemorate their contribution
to fighting hunger worldwide. 

Following the CROP Walk, the St Bernard Thanksgiving Dinner will be
served from 1 PM - 3:30 PM on November 27, 2008 in the Grand Ballroom
of the Frederick Sigur Civic Center, 8245 W. Judge Perez Drive in
Chalmette. The meal will include roast turkey, stuffing, mashed
potatoes, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, vegetables, rolls,
salad and dessert. A vegetarian entree will be offered as well. 

Musicians from the New Orleans Musicians' Clinic will also be on hand
to provide a variety of live performances throughout the afternoon.
The St Bernard Thanksgiving Dinner is free to the public and no
reservations are needed. It is not necessary to participate in the
CROP Walk in order to attend the Thanksgiving Dinner. More information
about the St Bernard Thanksgiving Celebration is available at
www.ccstb.org/thanksgiving

Volunteers and Donations Needed!

Donations are still needed for this year's St Bernard Thanksgiving
Celebration. Food for the meal, including canned yams, stuffing mix,
cranberry sauce, rolls, green salad, salad dressing, instant mashed
potatoes, turkey gravy, butter, French's Onions, Cream of Mushroom
soup, canned fruit, and pies are especially appreciated. Grocery store
gift cards and financial donations are welcome as well. 

All donated items should be brought to the Community Center of St
Bernard, 1107 LeBeau St, Arabi on Monday - Friday from 9 AM - 5 PM. If
possible, all food donations should be received at the Community
Center by November 21, 2008. The Community Center of St Bernard is a
501c3 nonprofit organization and receipts for tax purposes will be
issued on request. Please contact Executive Director Iray Nabatoff at
504-281-2512 with any questions regarding donations.

Volunteers are needed to help with both the CROP Walk and the
Thanksgiving Dinner. Approximately 10 volunteers are needed to help
set up the CROP Walk in Torres Park from 10AM - 11AM on November 27,
2008. Duties will include putting up the route markers, helping
walkers sign in, and passing out t-shirts, bottled water and route
maps. After the walk ends, 10 volunteers will be needed from 12:30 -1
PM to help clean the park.

At least 20 volunteers will also be needed at the Civic Center from 11
AM - 1 PM to help with meal preparation and set up on Thanksgiving
Day. 20 volunteers will then be needed for the meal service, which
will begin at 1 PM and continue until 3:30 PM. And 20 volunteers are
also being sought to help with cleanup from 3:30 - 5PM. Anyone
interested in volunteering for the CROP Walk or the Thanksgiving
Dinner should email the Community Center at info at ccstb.org or phone
504-281-2512.  Volunteers should specify which activities they would
like to assist with.