CINCINNATI — A 16-year Thanksgiving tradition continues at Elder High School as fathers and sons teamed up to prepare and deliver nearly 60 meals for those in need.
Volunteers packed holiday staples like pumpkin pie, turkey, gravy, cranberry sauce and more. Elder freshman Sebastian Valladares worked with his father, Henry, saying the effort is beyond just packing food.
“I think it strengthens the community and brings us way closer,” Valladares said.
Henry said working alongside his son creates a memory that will never be forgotten.
“Down the line, maybe they can do it with their kids and remember when they did it with me,” he said.
Elder dad Brian Easterly said they had a well-oiled machine from preparing food in the kitchen to cooking turkeys outside and packing boxes in the cafeteria. The plan is to box up entire meals and drop them off a different community members' homes.
“Everybody deserves a hot meal,” Easterly said.
Easterly said this effort at Elder is just as powerful for the people they deliver food to as the sons and fathers who volunteer.
“We lead by example ... where we’re showing our sons to be involved, to help out with the community and you know we want the whole area to thrive, not just Elder — all of Price Hill, all of greater Cincinnati,” Easterly said.
Organizers said they have seen this tradition grow as the needs of the community continue to grow. They said they want to help in any way they can, hoping to continue the tradition for years to come.
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