Community meal brings Thanksgiving to hundreds of local families

(ROCKWALL, TX — November 27, 2017) We Are Rockwall brought hundreds from around the community together to enjoy a massive Thanksgiving meal at Dorris Jones Elementary School on Nov. 18. Families had their fill of turkey, ham, dressing and other favorite eats of the holiday as they enjoyed live entertainment, raffle prizes, blessing bags to take home, free flu vaccinations, and winter gear for those in need.

Over 600 meals were served, with all the food donated by local restaurants, churches, nonprofits, and community members. Prior to the meal, members of the Rockwall Noon Rotary and Royse City Chamber of Commerce volunteered to deliver food from the Thanksgiving feast to homebound seniors served by Meals on Wheels of Rockwall County.

Tim Cypert, a Royse City Chamber of Commerce board member, helped organize We Are Rockwall and its annual community Thanksgiving after bringing the idea to the Boys and Girls Club of Rockwall County in 1994. His vision became reality four years ago when the first community Thanksgiving meal was served in the gym of the BGC.

Rockwall Noon Rotary members volunteered to deliver food from the annual We Are Rockwall Thanksgiving Meal to homebound seniors served by Meals on Wheels of Rockwall County.

“I had participated in something similar 25 years ago in Dallas and it left such an amazing impression on me that I have always wanted to bring the idea to Rockwall County,” Cypert said. “The vision, which is now our mission statement, was to connect local churches and non-profit organizations in a collaborated effort to reach across the racial, social, and economic barriers of Rockwall County, helping both the hurting and the healthy exist as one community. In 1994, I sat down with Misti Potter, who was the director of the Rockwall County Boys and Girls Club at the time, and Debi Williamson, a staff member at the Rockwall County Boys and Girls Club at the time, to share my idea. They loved it and the planning began.”

The event has seen more and more involvement from the community each year, and according to Cypert, this year’s meal turned out to be the most successful yet.

“We were very pleased with the turnout and community involvement this year,” Cypert said. “We accomplished our mission and, in doing so, got to see the beauty of our Rockwall County community as one community. At the end of the day, all of our volunteers were exhausted, but our hearts were full,”

We Are Rockwall organizes events connecting local churches and non-profit organizations in a collaborated effort to reach across the racial, social, and economic barriers of Rockwall County, helping both the hurting and the healthy exist as one community. For more info visit wearerockwall.com.

By Austin Wells, Blue Ribbon News.

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