(Photo Illustration - Photo Provided by Candice Black)

Every day, the cool weather is more of a reminder that the holiday season is right around the corner.

And at Boys & Girls Clubs of Parkersburg, we had a little dose of that holiday spirit on Nov. 21 with a Thanksgiving dinner that fed nearly 250 Club members and their families.

The dinner is a yearly tradition and an opportunity to bring worlds together with members, their families and their home away from home: the Clubhouse.

It was my first year with the organization, and after hearing the excitement from CEO Lynn Reins and COO Justin Clark, I knew I was in for a special evening.

(EDITOR’S NOTE – Also in Today’s Edition – Boys & Girls Clubs of Parkersburg launches ‘All It Takes’ campaign – click here.)

Preparations began over a month ago with Unit Director Darlene Murphy and Program Director Dasia Russell leading the way. Their vision of a homegrown Thanksgiving meal was perfectly executed with nearly everything homemade by staff. Each participating staff member chose their favorite dish and prepared it from scratch.

It would have been easy to find a catering company or to heat up pre-made items from the store; but our staff members wanted to make sure our families were spoiled and that they know they are loved and appreciated.

All week, Russell, Murphy, Jazlyn Frieson, Ryan Beatty, Crystal Barker, Regan Joachim, Isaac Cunningham, Jonathan Hammond and Krista Runions prepared food, set up tables and chairs and decorated, in addition to their vital work of providing a safe and positive experience every day for our Club members.

I was utterly amazed by their dedication, hard work and willingness to go above and beyond for our Club families.

We even had a couple of volunteers, Toby Parsons and Tierra Campbell, help with last-minute cooking.

My heart was so full seeing all the love this group of people has for our community.

Not only did attendees get their bellies full of delicious, homemade food, but a generous donor gifted brand new coats to pass out. And instead of sitting down and enjoying her well-earned meal, Russell spent her time helping kids pick out and try on coats.

Actions speak volumes. And despite being exhausted after working hard all week, every staff member was on their feet during the event, walking around to mingle with families, bringing in additional seating or calling up tables one at a time to be served.

Oh, and I can’t forget another crucial group of people who made this event a success: the Parkersburg High School NJROTC students.

The group kindly donated their time to serve food and drinks and helped with cleanup. They sacrificed precious free time to help us out and did so with a smile and a positive attitude.

We are so grateful to and couldn’t have done it without them.

And speaking of crucial support, none of this would have been possible without our sponsors: Downtown Hustle, CAS Cable, Premiere Dental, Justin Clark, Janet Moyers with Glitz Glam and Fizz LLC and Houman Khosrovi MD.

Dollars weren’t the only way they showed up for us. Rhoni Burt with CAS and her co-worker walked in the Club and immediately asked what they could do to help even though their only job was to enjoy themselves.

Erica Bailey with Premier Dental brought her adorable son and visited with several members who are her patients and established a relationship with us.

All in all, our Thanksgiving was a huge testament to our generous, helpful community, our staff and their wholehearted commitment to our mission and our cheerleaders, the families who make our lives fulfilling.

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Candice Black is director of resources development for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Parkersburg.