By JOHN MOLSEED, john.molseed@wcfcourier.com | Posted: Sunday, November 22, 2009 3:00 pm
WATERLOO - Amber Dietz inherited a decade-old tradition when she stepped in to her first year as principal of Lowell Elementary School.
The school is the sight of an annual Thanksgiving dinner along with First Wesleyan and Grace Brethren churches.
Volunteers from the churches and school served the traditional holiday fare of turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce and pies at the school Saturday.
More than 600 people in the neighborhood and throughout the community enjoyed the annual meal last year and the year before.
"The food is really good and you get to sit and talk to people you haven't seen in a while," said Nancy Hemenway. Her daughter, Amber Hemenway, who also enjoyed a meal Saturday, attended Lowell Elementary School from first through fifth grades.
For some, the annual dinner is about nostalgia as much as food. Grace Bohle, who attended the school 65 years ago, said the school is still familiar decades later.
"A lot of memories here, all pretty good ones," she said.
Students created turkey day-themed place mats and spent more than a month collecting canned goods to give to those enjoying the neighborhood meal. Food drives at schools are common, but not every class gets to see first hand the results of their efforts.
"It's good for kids to be able to follow the cycle and see who gets the food," Dietz said.
Students gathered the donated food along with food donated by Grainger Parts in Waterloo, First Wesleyan and Grace Brethren and filled 270 grocery bags for people to take with them after the meal.
"It's a good way to learn about citizenship and give back to the community," said Cindy Leininger, chairwoman of the student council at Lowell.
Each year more people attend the event and more volunteers sign up to help, said Beth Hottle, a volunteer with Grace Brethren Church.
"Every year, we think we've lost people, but every year the sign-up sheets are full," she said.