SIDNEY -- The aroma of fresh-cooked ham, turkey, dressing and sweet potatoes filled the Sidney Elks Lodge today as the Elks hosted the 2024 Community Thanksgiving dinner.

The Elks offer a free holiday meal with donations accepted, inviting the community to share a table with friends and neighbors. The lunch is sponsored by local businesses in addition to the Elks Lodge.

This year the Elks and event volunteers witnessed a constant flow of partakers through the two-hour event. Heather Shaw, Elks member organizer of the event, said the fun for her was watching the people.

"Just all of the people coming in and enjoying lunch and visiting and catching up with old friends. It's just been a wonderful day," she said.

Families, singles, young and seniors all gathered to share in the community feast.

The event is like guessing the size of an ice berg by looking at the water's surface. Much of the work is done before the event.

"There are a lot of details. It's ongoing, so we kind of have an idea of how much food to prepare over the years. We prepared a little bit more this year just because it's been growing over the last couple of years. Just a few statistics: we cooked 175 lbs of turkey, and about 125 lbs of ham, and we have 60 pies," Shaw said.