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24th District sets the table for Thanksgiving
n BY DAN CAMPANA
Hearing 24th District Civilian CAPS Organizer Mayra Gomez talk about or- ganizing Thanksgiving dinner for 1,000 people might make you feel a little silly about some of your holiday stress.
“It’s about having a nice day with peo- ple who are in need,” Gomez said of the district’s 8th annual Thanksgiving meal, served at the Tapas Valencia Restaurant. “It’s a very nice event. It’s grown so much.”
Indeed it has, to the point people from various commu- nities, religious organizations and diverse backgrounds showed up in droves for the five meal seatings between 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. Those who attended received five courses of traditional turkey hol- iday deliciousness in a restaurant setting many of them don’t have the opportunity to experience. From seniors and veterans to the homeless and families in need, all were welcome.
“They’ve never been in a fancy restaurant to have a five- course meal,” Gomez said. The smiles on faces around the restaurant warmed hearts as much as any oven could.
Officers in plain clothes mingled with guests from different parts of the city in a relaxing environment that further served to build relationships with the community.
“This year we served 1,000 meals. We had them lining up outside,” Gomez said, mentioning the dinner has be- come her “pet project” since taking on her CAPS role almost a decade ago. She
heaped plenty of credit on others who helped to make the event a success, from its planning stages in August through the last plate served.
“This restaurant, they are fantastic. I’m grateful for the commander I have and my community policing ser- geant,” said Gomez. “I’m thankful for having such won- derful officers helping me.” The State Street Restaurant Association and community volunteers also chipped in to make the event a success, she added.
Don’t expect things to slow down next year. While it’s too early to know how big the dinner will be in 2017, Go- mez already knows she wants to find a way to feed officers who work the city’s Thanksgiving parade detail. d
56 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ DECEMBER 2016