Thanksgiving 2024
A message from the president:
Thanks to all who came and contributed to our great Thanksgiving celebration! We had a full house, a full buffet, a full raffle table and an all-around “full” evening. As much as I was surprised and touched by the standing ovation, I was also taken off-guard and didn’t say all the things I had planned to do. So I will now.
An event such as our Thanksgiving takes the concerted efforts of many, not just one. I’d like to mention some of these here. First, the Pfarre Maria am Gestade and the wonderful assistance of Claudia, Daniele and Mariana, who helped organize and run the event professionally and congenially from set-up to clean-up and serving drinks from the bar all the while in between.
Our turkeys are prepared and delivered to the church in hotboxes by the Metzgerei Strasser in Wattens.
The turkeys aren’t much good for the buffet, however, without being carved, so a big thank you to our carvers this year Gerhard Leschinger, Michael Ladstätter (who also served in another important capacity) and Marc Ischen. They carved up 27 kilos of turkey and every morsel was eaten.
Marc and Rebecca Ischen were also key to procuring and delivering the prosecco for our welcome drink, which Rebecca served on trays of filled glasses she took personally around to arriving guests. Rebecca is also our raffle queen, arranging baskets of gifts for the young and not so young. Paula Silbermayr and Taylor Lemon provided some extra, valuable surprises for the raffle table, thank you!
The raffle is an important source of funds to help cover the considerable expense of this favorite event of each year. Thank you to Angela Schenk for donating reusable Thanksgiving decorations. Thank you to Erica Alves for technical equipment and musical arrangements and for providing several dishes for the main and dessert buffets.
Thank you, of course, to all who prepared and brought food items for the buffet tables, which were truly bountiful this year, and to those who oversaw the organization of food items on the tables. Since we ask for vegetarian sides, there is plenty to share even with non-meat eaters. A big thank you to Santa and Santa’s helper, who took time out from their busy Christmas work to stop by for the first time in four years! Finally, thank you to the great guys Oliver Steininger, who schlepped big bags of books, materials and food items for me and helped to set-up the tables and chairs; and Peter Wallner, Liam Wallner, Marc Ischen and first-time guest Adam who all stayed to break down the tables and chairs. As the saying goes: it takes a village.
