INDIANAPOLIS -
The Mozel Sanders Thanksgiving dinner is a massive effort that takes a year of planning.
Thursday, more than 40,000 people will receive a free Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings because Hoosiers donated their time and money to keep the tradition going.
The first shifts of volunteers arrived early this morning, each assigned to a station - green beans, gravy and endless trays of turkey.
"I call it organized chaos, basically," said Chef Cullen Simpson.
3,000 volunteers help pull it off.
Some come with co-workers. Brian lesser is a rookie this year, one of 15 from Medco Pharmaceutical in Whitestown.
"I thought it was a good opportunity for us to come out and try to give thanks and be appreciative for the things we have and to to try and help other people out," he said.
When you give, you also receive. It's a lesson some are learning early.
"It makes me feel good because I can just help out and they need it so it just makes me feel good about it," said Carlie Ward, nine years old.
The main kitchen is on the Butler campus. From there, hot meals are sent to 45 satellite locations serving more than 40,000 people. That's double what it was 15 years ago. In 1987 preparation for the food was moved to Arsenal Technical High School. There were 200 volunteers and 16,000 dinner guests. It was Rev. Sanders last Thanksgiving. He passed away in September 1988.
"Forty years ago my dad and some of the deacons of the church, they stayed up all night, and his rule was you give before you sit down for Thanksgiving dinner and so to see all of this I know he's happy. The vision is working. I always say visions don't work unless people do," said Bishop Sanders, son of founder Mozel Sanders.
The cost of each meal is roughly $2.30. Fundraising efforts continue year round. A Radio-thon earlier this month was mounted to raise $50,000, but they are still accepting donations.
It's a local legacy that continues to grow, and it's executed in a way his family believes the founder would approve.
"He would look down and say I told you so, because he said I could do it and he said I told you so and he was right. With the help of our committee, with the staff, with the media, we can all do it and he told me so and he was right," said Stephanie Sanders, organizer.
Orders have closed for the day.
