LAGUNA BEACH : Volunteers Plan Thanksgiving Picnic

Volunteers are once again preparing for a Thanksgiving Day picnic that was started to help the needy, was expanded to include the lonely and has since become a festive gathering for the entire community.

For some, the meal at Bluebird Park will be their only Thanksgiving dinner. Others may dash off later for another celebration elsewhere.

But Alice Graves, who along with resident Ann Tashjian launched the annual event five years ago, said the noonday celebration has become a time when all residents can mingle and share a holiday dinner.

“It’s gotten to be almost tradition for some people to meet there and maybe bring a dish or two and have Thanksgiving with us and maybe go to their home for a big family Thanksgiving later,” Graves said. “It’s such a wonderful time together. It’s amazingly like the very first Thanksgiving, where a lot of people got together and had a good time.”

Last year, Graves said, more than 200 people attended the picnic at Cress and Santa Cruz streets. Some contribute by bringing potluck dishes, ham, turkey or desserts. Others help by setting up tables and chairs or providing entertainment, Graves said.

“Practically everyone helps in some way, so it’s not just a handout,” she said. “If they show up with something in their hands, that’s fine. If they come without anything, that’s also fine.”

While the event is not sponsored by the city, city officials, including the mayor, have supported it in the past by spending part of their Thanksgiving Day at the park.

“It’s not just for the needy,” Deputy City Manager Cindy King said. “What they have discovered is there are a number of people who are alone on Thanksgiving. This provides an opportunity for them to come together, which is what Thanksgiving is all about.”

Anyone planning to bring a ham or turkey is asked to call Graves at (714) 497-3067 or Tashjian at (714) 497-1445.