The heart of the holiday

NORWALK — What began with a handful of pizzas for people spending Thanksgiving alone has grown into one of the community's largest holiday traditions. "We do a free community Thanksgiving dinner," organizer Patti Wilde said, "People call my house or Robin (Bliele's), and we take their name, where they live, and how many meals they need." Wilde and her lifelong friend, Bliele, have been central figures in the effort since its earliest days. "We've known each other since kindergarten or first grade," she said. "And we do a lot of things together." On Thanksgiving Day, residents have three ways to participate, according to Wilde. "We deliver to their homes, or they can come up and eat at the cafeteria, or they can pick it up and take it home," she said. From pizzas to a full Thanksgiving dinner The tradition traces back to 1990, when Wilde's husband, Skip, began quietly trying to make Thanksgiving a little less lonely for people without family. "Skip gave his employees and customers — they were alone on Thanksgiving — so he started sending pizzas," she said. "A friend of ours brought apples, and then another lady wanted to do desserts. So we did that for a few years, and then Robin pushed for Thanksgiving dinner. So then we started the big, the whole meal." Why they do it Wilde said the reason has always been simple. "People didn't have anybody to talk to that day, or they were alone, lived alone or something like that," she said. She and her husband used to attend "two Thanksgiving dinners a day" with their own families, but they kept thinking about those who had nowhere to go. "We just thought it wasn't right that people were by themselves," she said. "So he wanted to do something for them." 700-plus meals — and no way to predict this year's number Last year, volunteers served around 750 meals. Wilde has no prediction for this year. She also doesn't know how many volunteers she'll have, and that's part of the magic. "I have no idea because then about 10:30 people start coming in that are going to deliver and it fills the cafeteria," Wilde said. "There's more than hundreds." Dozens of turkeys, community kitchens — and backup pizza plans To make the meal possible, Wilde said the whole community steps up. "We'll do about 50 turkeys this year, and Fisher-Titus will do 14," she said. "People in the community will bake them and bring them in in the morning, and then they get carved." If the meal runs short, there's a contingency plan. "If we don't have enough, we've gone to restaurants and bought some to fill in," she said. If there's extra, nothing goes to waste: "We take it to the Victory Kitchen in Sandusky or the food bank," she said. Kids, churches, neighbors 'at every step' Wilde said the event has always been about more than food. "I just think that it's important to know that in our area, so many people care," she said. "The kids help the day before — they peel potatoes and help us make the stuffing and all that kind of thing. "And, you know, at every step of the way, there's people that are taking part in it," she added. "I think that's the best thing of the whole event." How to request a free Thanksgiving meal Residents can request meals by calling Patty Wilde or Robin Bliele directly at 419-668-2766 or 419-681-2809. Those calling should provide their: • Name • Address • Number of meals needed Event organizers clarified that the service is intended for Norwalk-area residents only. Meals can be: • Delivered to your home • Picked up • Eaten on site in the cafeteria on Thanksgiving Day