Fast approaching 20 years, the annual Spirit of Oakdale Thanksgiving dinner will be served at Oakdale’s Gene Bianchi Community Center, 110 S. Second Ave., on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 22.

The dinner committee will be serving the traditional Thanksgiving feast, from turkey to pumpkin pie, between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., and all are welcome to attend. There is no charge for the meal and no reservations are needed. Co-founder Mickey Peabody said people can come whenever they want during the meal to enjoy a time of fellowship and good food with their neighbors.

There will also be several activities for the youngsters to keep them busy after they eat, including a variety of crafts and face painting.

“We are still going forward, full speed ahead,” said Peabody, noting that roasting of turkeys and other preparations are already well under way. Crews will gather at the Community Center tonight, Wednesday, to continue with such tasks as peeling potatoes, setting the tables and decorating the center.

Peabody said new this year, the local Walgreens had a bake sale and donated all the proceeds to the Spirit of Oakdale. The effort also draws in several people from the community to volunteer or donate, according to Peabody.

While most of the bases are covered, Peabody said they do have a shortage of pies, so anyone that would like to donate a pie to the cause or volunteer their time to help with serving or clean up, can stop by the Community Center on Thursday, Nov. 22 at 10 a.m. to lend a helping hand.