Chilton group serves 10,000th meal

CHILTON - Many people would probably wait in line for a good old fashioned Thanksgiving dinner. But the people in line at the Eagles Club in Chilton aren't waiting for their own food. They're boxing up hot meals to deliver to people in need.

"It's just a small way to give back to the community," said Dave Berth. He is one of the founders of the 30-year Chilton tradition known as the Thanksgiving Day Express.

"We're here to deliver a hot meal and a kind word to someone in need," Berth said.

To say the Thanksgiving Day Express had humble beginnings would be an understatement. Thirty years ago, they served just 14 meals. This year they'll serve nearly 500. The number of volunteers has grown from seven to about 150.

"I'm absolutely amazed," Berth said. "Thirty years ago we had no idea the challenges and we had no idea the wonderful blessings that we would be surrounded by all of these wonderful people that come every year. It's incredible."

And every volunteer has a job.

"I'm actually like the head dishwasher here but somebody needed to do that. I'm okay with washing dishes," said Patrick Rowland.

Bill Dern volunteered with the Express for many years before he moved to Texas. This year, he came back to Chilton to serve the corn.

"I've done it for so long and I kind of missed it. It's really a great thing to be doing," Dern said.

Alongside the veterans are newcomers like Joyce Campbell. She lives in Kiel but grew up in Chilton.

"I think it's great," Campbell said. "I think it's great everyone is giving up their time to help out someone in need, someone that's alone for the day."

Over the years, the group has delivered more than 10-thousand meals on Thanksgiving Day. A few dozen of this year's meals went to people living at an apartment complex for senior citizens in Chilton.

"This is just tremendous of them to do," said resident Terri Raddatz. "And to take out of their day and their time to come here and to be away from their families, God Bless them."