RACINE — Inside Racine's Festival Hall, volunteers prepared for what has become an annual Thanksgiving tradition that feeds thousands of community members.
Thanksgiving Racine is anticipating as many as 4,000 people to be served this year, requiring hundreds of pounds of turkey and hundreds of volunteers working across Wednesday and Thursday.
"So here we are cutting turkey, manning the ovens, and getting ready for Thanksgiving on Thursday," said Van McNeil, a first time volunteer at the event.
The event was previously called "Dan and Ray Rendering Thanks," named after Danny Johnson and Ray Stibeck who started the tradition 16 years ago.
"It was originally supposed to be a year," said McNeil, who was tasked with leading the kitchen.
This year, the event is in a period of transition, as Johnson and Stibeck are ready to step back from the tradition.
For McNeil, that, in addition to giving back to the community, was a reason to help out.
“It’s important for this to keep going,” he said.
Kandi Lemmons and Faizah Ynocencioa are the mother-daughter duo tasked with exactly that.
"We've been part of it since the beginning," said Lemmons, who has worked for Johnson's Catering by Danny for years.
Ynocencio was just 8 years old when the event started 16 years ago.
They are now leading Thanksgiving Racine.
"It means everything," Ynocencio said about being able to work alongside her mom to help the community tradition continue.
"I just didn't want to see something like this, and something this good, just disappear," Lemmons said.
The meal is funded entirely by donations, and approximately 300 volunteers help with preparations and service.
"It is crazy. It is so overwhelming, but it makes me feel so good," Ynocencio said. "It's so heartwarming that so many people step up and actually help."
Volunteers were at work Wednesday preparing food and the site. And they expected to begin their work early Thursday morning to prepare for the 10:30 a.m. start time.
"Bright and early at 4:30," McNeil said with a laugh.
The free Thanksgiving meal is open to anyone and runs until 2 p.m. Thursday. Attendees can anticipate a full meal, served in a festive environment, with the Packer game being shown.
"I just hope it makes everybody feel like they're at home," Ynocencio said.
For Lemmons and Ynocencio, Thursday's meal is a tradition for their own family, one they're glad to carry on.
"I hope after our time somebody keeps it going," Lemmons said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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