BALTIMORE — One of the major changes this year to the Bea Gaddy Thanksgiving dinner is the location, it won’t be held at the rec center in Patterson Park like normal but city leaders and organizers are doing everything in their power to make sure this tradition lives on.
RELATED: Baltimore providing transportation for Bea Gaddy Thanksgiving Dinner
"The mission, it has to be completed," said Cynthia Brooks. "I am Bea Gaddy’s daughter and so to not have the dinner means that I would be failing her."
Emotional words from Cynthia Brooks, after working through challenges to make sure the 42nd annual Thanksgiving dinner is a success.
We asked Brooks if there was any concern with the location changing.
"I’m concerned that people may not show up. It’s the changes in location. It’s the need it’s the resources," she said.
This year the location of Bea Gaddys Thanksgiving dinner has changed from the rec center at Patterson Park to the Middle Branch fitness and recreation center in South Baltimore. And city leaders have pulled out extra tools to make sure everything runs smoothly.
"12 passenger vans are going to circulate the Cherry Hill, Brooklyn and Lakeland community. Then we’re having two charm city circulators that are picking up at two major locations downtown, one is at North and Gay, then we're having another one pick up right in front of CFG Bank Arena," said Noell Lugay, chief of policy and partnership at the Mayor's Office of Children and Family Success.
They also have six buses – three each that will pick up at the Virginia Baker rec center and Mondawmin Mall.
Noell Lugay - chief of policy and partnership, Mayors Office of children and family success
"We are doing transportation on the hour, every hour, starting at 9:00 a.m. and they’ll go straight to Middle Branch and they take you from Middle Branch back to the spot you were picked up at," Lugay said.
The Bea Gaddy foundation is preparing to feed thousands. The transportation will continue rotating from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. that’s when the last pick up happens.
"We have so many drivers that are anxious to go take a meal to a family or an individual," Brooks said. "It’s still Bea Gaddy‘s Thanksgiving dinner. You’ve been coming out for years. This year is just at a different location. We’re going back home to Patterson Park next year and it’s still us."
There is still time to get on the list to have a meal delivered to your home if you’re a senior who's shut in. To get on that list, call 410-563-2749.
