Three decades later, the Spirit of Oakdale is still going strong.
It was originally just a simple idea between friends Vickie Thompson and Mickey Peabody to host a community Thanksgiving dinner for those that might otherwise be alone on the holiday. But it took on a life of its own and has grown into a holiday tradition locally that serves hundreds.
The first dinner was offered in 1994. The 2025 edition will be served at the Gene Bianchi Community Center in downtown Oakdale on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 27. Hours for the free holiday meal are 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Vickie Thompson and her sisters, Vivian and Valrie, basically took over the operation in the early years, with assistance from a virtual army of volunteers.
For the past several years, the Oakdale Lions Club has been the sponsoring organization, coordinating the effort.
Club member Matt Hanko said the goal this year is to make sure those coming to eat a bountiful Thanksgiving meal with others learn a little about the history, how the dinner came to be and how it grew and evolved to reach hundreds of diners each year. And how important the Thompson sisters were in keeping it going.
One of those who was involved with the effort for years, working with the sisters, was Mark “Roper” McLean.
“The sisters didn’t think of an exit plan,” McLean shared, noting that the trio started to consider ‘passing the torch’ after more than 20 years of Thanksgiving community dinners but weren’t quite sure how.
McLean said they decided to get to the 25-year mark before working with other groups to take it over.
“They saw this through for 25 years and that is unbelievable,” McLean said.
He also shared stories of the prep work, the night before with the potato peeling brigade, the turkeys being cooked and sliced, volunteers that had their specific tasks they wanted to handle each year … it all came together.
The Spirit of Oakdale was designed from the start, McLean said, to give people an opportunity to share the holiday and the bounty with others.
“It was never about being homeless, about being poor,” he said of some that may have viewed the ‘Spirit’ dinner as a charity event. “Over the years we’ve had people that had to stay in town when their family went to visit relatives, we have had people from all walks of life. It was always just about feeding the community and they (Thompson sisters) were proud about that, everybody is welcome.”
Last year, there were 120 turkeys cooked and served, Hanko said, highlighting the fact that the dinner is a destination for many on Thanksgiving.
McLean added that it was a true blessing when the Lions Club stepped up to take over ownership of the dinner, which includes both the sit-down meal at the Community Center as well as home deliveries by the police department’s CAPS volunteers for those that can’t get to the center for the meal.
Hanko said the Lions Club is currently seeking community support, including those who can cook turkeys, serve food the day of the event, help with preparations, or contribute financially. He can be reached at 209-247-6609 or by email at matthanko@gmail.com for more information about volunteer opportunities.
