A hometown newspaper with a local office, local owners & lots of local news
A hometown newspaper with a local office, local owners & lots of local news
Gary Tyman, right, and a host of volunteers work the buffet line at Zion Lutheran Church, providing meatballs, ham, mashed potatoes, green beans and a helping of Christmas cheer. They served about 400 people plus 23 deliveries for people with no other options.
DAV volunteer cook George Wilton is a central figure in the kitchen at Christmas and Thanksgiving. Wilton figures he's helped prepare 25,000 meals with organizer Raffy Johnson over the years that the DAV has spearheaded the two free community meals.
It seemed that Santa Claus stopped in for a break after a long night of delivering presents, but it was really Carl Dietz, who enjoyed some delicious food and good company.
Cromwell and Wright newspaper columnist and cheerleader Jennie K. Hanson chats with friends before dinner. She was meeting her son and family at the Cloquet church on Christmas Day.
Cloquet's Tim and Kerry Dahl wear two of Kerry's favorite Christmas sweaters for their first time volunteering at the annual Christmas dinner.
Volunteer Karen Gerth tops up the lemonade on Christmas Day. She and her husband, Jim Gerth, were volunteering for the second year. "I love to serve people at Christmas time," Karen said. Organizer Raffy Johnson said they had lots of volunteers, and "they all did a great job."
More than 400 people turned out for the annual community Christmas meal in Cloquet on Dec. 25.
Carlton County Disabled American Veterans member and lead organizer Raffy Johnson said it’s important to keep the tradition going for him and for all the people who enjoy having their Christmas meal together, recalling the days that his late father, Dave, organized the meal with other Zion members. The meal has been served at the Cloquet church for more than 30 years.
Johnson said volunteers help make it happen.
"We had lots of volunteers and they did a wonderful job," he said.
