OLDS — Once again, hundreds of people were expected to gather at the Olds Royal Canadian Legion Branch #105 on Christmas Day for Henry’s Christmas Dinner, organized by the legion, the Olds Lions Club and many other volunteers.
Christmas dinner was set to be provided at the legion from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. As always, plans were in place to deliver meals to those who couldn’t make it there for one reason or another.
The dinner is held annually, named after the late Henry Sonnenberg, a local bakery owner who began organizing the meals in 1978. He continued doing so for 37 years with help from members of the Olds Lions Club and other volunteers until ill health forced him to step aside.
Sonnenberg passed away in 2017, at which point the Lions Club and Olds Royal Canadian Legion Branch #105 began sponsoring and organizing it with help from other volunteers.
Spokesman Alan Prevost, a member of the Lions Club, said organizers planned for about 400 people this year, up from about 370 last year.
“Numbers have been increasing all along,” Prevost said.
He said the poor economy appears to be a big factor in that increasing figure.
“The economy is – it’s not as wonderful as people make out,” he said.
However, he added there are also other reasons people attend the annual Christmas event.
Some are seniors looking for a bit of an outing that day. Some are lonely individuals looking for some companionship.
“This is what this meal provides. It provides a bit of cheer – a group of people who are laughing and who are generally getting together just so that they can be together in a group,” he said, noting gifts are available for people, especially young kids, to choose if they wish.
“I mean, for whatever reason, if you don’t have family in town, if you don’t have the Christmas ideal of sitting down to a big meal with family, etc., you show up here and you’re going to get a sense of family with it," he said.
Some people come by just to help out.
“There are people I see show up who I know for a fact are not hurting financially but I think they come mainly just to see what it’s all about,” he said.
“A lot of people show up at the door (and say) ‘is there a cost?’ And we say, ‘well, if you wish to donate, you can donate to the meal. But if you don’t wish to or choose not to, that’s fine too. You’re most welcome.'
“So I would say probably at least a quarter of the people who come through reach in to their pocket and make a donation."
