Local organizations and businesses teamed up Monday to present Pasadena’s Thanksgiving Dinner in the Park.
City officials along with personnel from the Pasadena Convention Center and exclusive food and beverage provider Sodexo Live! cooked and carved 250 turkeys for Union Station Homeless Services’ annual Thanksgiving Dinner in the Park.
The holiday event is now in its 12th year.
“The cherished tradition” of connecting community members to prepare meals continues as city officials and representatives from local organizations gathered at the Pasadena Convention Center this morning to participate,” a Monday city statement said.
Event participants included:
- Pasadena Center Operating Company Board Chair and Pasadena Councilmember Tyron Hampton;
- Union Station Homeless Services Board Member Deserae Jones and Vice President of Development Mario Galeano;
- Sodexo Live! Regional Executive Chef JC Pulido;
- Pasadena Center Operating Company Chief Executive Officer Michael Ross; and
- Sodexo Live! General Manager Christina Sherwood.
“We look forward to this event each year during the holiday season,” Ross said in a statement. “We appreciate Union Station Homeless Services’ commitment to the Pasadena community and the essential support it provides. It’s an honor to collaborate with them to put a warm meal on the table for those experiencing food insecurity.”
In addition to the holiday event, Union Station Homeless Services needs donations and volunteers to support their year-round efforts. City officials suggested shopping the organization’s wish list, attending a fundraiser or contributing volunteered time for kitchen shifts and meal deliveries. More information is available at unionstationhs.org.
Thanksgiving Dinner in the Park started as a community potluck at Central Park and has evolved over the years into a two-week event, officials said. The turkeys prepared by the Pasadena Convention Center and Sodexo Live! are distributed either as reheat-able meals for families to take home or served as a sit-down meal at the Adult Center, 412 S. Raymond Ave.
Images from the event are online.