HANCOCK - Hundreds of elderly people in the Keweenaw got company and a full Thanksgiving meal at several dinners put on by Little Brothers Friends Of The Elderly Thursday.
People came to sites in Tapiola, Houghton, Ontonagon, Copper City, Hancock, Calumet and South Range for sit-down dinners. Hot meals were also prepared at the Apostolic Lutheran Church in Laurium and Grace United Methodist Church in Houghton. Those meals, which included a full-course meal, homemade dessert and flowers, were delivered to the homes of senior citizens who couldn't come out.
About 1,000 dinners were prepared.
It was a full house at Church of the Resurrection in Hancock. The crowd ate turkey, mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce while listening to live music.
Clyde Gagnon has been coming for 15 years.
"I see a lot of people, and I see a lot of friends," he said.
The diners weren't the only familiar faces. Leading the toast at the end of the meal was head chef Ken Steiner. He's been cooking meals for Little Brothers since their first dinner 27 years ago.
"I believe in the organization big time," he said.
The crowd sang "Happy Birthday" to Millie Pekkala, one of the coordinators, who has been coming to the dinners for about 20 years. At 87, she still volunteers with Little Brothers three times a week.
Kerri Mayra of Hancock got involved six or seven years ago when her school volunteered at Little Brothers. Now a Michigan Technological University freshman majoring in psychology, she's kept at it.
"It's very relaxing," she said. "Everybody's really nice, so it's a fun atmosphere to be around."
Garrett Neese can be reached at gneese@mininggazette.com.
