BOYLE - It was a time for the Boyle community to come together and share in the holiday season Dec. 11 at the Boyle and District Community Centre.
More than 350 people attended the 10th-annual Boyle Community Christmas Supper, where turkey, ham, meatballs and all the fixings that go with it were served to each of the guests.
Lead organizer Marilyn Schroderus said the supper was an event by the community and for the community.
“No one organization had sole responsibility for putting on this event,” Schroderus said. “It all runs on volunteers, and it’s always a rousing success every year.”
Alice Wlos was one of the volunteers who helped in the kitchen.
“We did 20 loaves of bread just for the turkey dressing,” Wlos said. “We had people from not just in Boyle, but from Caslan, Athabasca, Skeleton Lake, Amisk Lake, as well as all the surrounding areas join us.”
She added many of the local churches in the area came together and did one part of the supper.
“The Ukrainian Orthodox Church brought all the vegetables,” Wlos continued. “St. Alphonsus Roman Catholic Church brought some of the deserts except the pies which was brought in by the Boyle Gospal Chapel, St. Paul’s Anglican Church brought in all the oranges and the Gateway Community Church set up all the tables.”
She said Boyle Buy-Low contributed all the food while the North Corridor Co-op provided all the ice cream and the other desserts.
Deb Winters has volunteered at the supper since it first started in 2010. She said they started cooking the food for the event the day before.
“It was all well worth it in the end with the massive turnout,” Winters said. “We definitely had one of the higher turnouts. It’s a needed event for the community, and it’s a really fun function to be a part of. You work with all kinds of different people, and it’s a great time all around. I’m really proud of the community for pulling this off once again.”
Eighty-eight-year-old Albert Karvonen came to the event with his daughter Vireo.
“I was in town to donate turkeys to the Boyle Food Bank anyway, and we figured we’d stop here as well,” Karvonen said. “This kind of community event is wonderful, and there are lots of people who need help in the area during these tough economic times. I really enjoyed seeing all the camaraderie at this event.”
A kid's corner was also set up for the children to do crafts and colour pictures.
“I made a reindeer using a candy cane and some pipe cleaners,” eight-year-old Aliyah Talmey said. “I really enjoyed the night. I really loved the crafts and the live music in the background. It was first time at the event, and I would definitely be back next year.”
The live music was proved by the Seabrooks band.
“I’ve been with the band for the past four years as one of the singers, while the rest of the band first got together 10 years ago,” Hanna Seabrook said. “I’ve been singing for the past 13 years when I was seven-years-old, and at the supper we played a little bit of everything, including Johnny Cash and Leonard Cohen.”
She said she really enjoyed seeing the kids dancing to the music.
“We play at this venue every year, and we always have a great time and enjoy doing it,” Seabrook continued. “As long as they’ll have us, we will keep coming back.”
