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Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Jefferson High spreads holiday cheer
Free dinner, a visit from Santa Claus marks 11th year of the holiday event last week
Diners enjoy a meal and conversation during the 11th Annual Jefferson Free Holiday Dinner at Jefferson High School in southwest Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023. Student leaders work with staff to gather donations locally to support the event. The meal includes turkey gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, roll, homemade desserts, and a beverage. Jefferson students, staff, and community serve every guest from start to finish. The event usually serves between 1,000-1,500 people each year. The event took off 2020 due to the pandemic. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
Senior Aidan O’Connor stocks cans of soda during the 11th Annual Jefferson Free Holiday Dinner at Jefferson High School in southwest Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023. Through his father John O’Connor, Aidan has helped all 11 years. Student leaders work with staff to gather donations locally to support the event. The meal includes turkey gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, roll, homemade desserts, and a beverage. Jefferson students, staff, and community serve every guest from start to finish. The event usually serves between 1,000-1,500 people each year. The event took off 2020 due to the pandemic. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
Four-year-old Cal Thompson has his picture taken with Santa Claus (aka Geof (cq) Knoerzer) during the 11th Annual Jefferson Free Holiday Dinner at Jefferson High School in southwest Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023. Student leaders work with staff to gather donations locally to support the event. The meal includes turkey gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, roll, homemade desserts, and a beverage. Jefferson students, staff, and community serve every guest from start to finish. The event usually serves between 1,000-1,500 people each year. The event took off 2020 due to the pandemic. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
Shea Thompson (second from right) and her son Cal, 4, have their picture taken with Santa Claus (aka Geof (cq) Knoerzer) while Mrs. Claus (aka Marie Kann) looks on during the 11th Annual Jefferson Free Holiday Dinner at Jefferson High School in southwest Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023. Student leaders work with staff to gather donations locally to support the event. The meal includes turkey gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, roll, homemade desserts, and a beverage. Jefferson students, staff, and community serve every guest from start to finish. The event usually serves between 1,000-1,500 people each year. The event took off 2020 due to the pandemic. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
2023 Jefferson graduate Merit Gabrielson performs for diners during the 11th Annual Jefferson Free Holiday Dinner at Jefferson High School in southwest Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023. Student leaders work with staff to gather donations locally to support the event. The meal includes turkey gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, roll, homemade desserts, and a beverage. Jefferson students, staff, and community serve every guest from start to finish. The event usually serves between 1,000-1,500 people each year. The event took off 2020 due to the pandemic. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
Senior Sophia White takes photos of people with Santa Claus during the 11th Annual Jefferson Free Holiday Dinner at Jefferson High School in southwest Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023. Student leaders work with staff to gather donations locally to support the event. The meal includes turkey gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, roll, homemade desserts, and a beverage. Jefferson students, staff, and community serve every guest from start to finish. The event usually serves between 1,000-1,500 people each year. The event took off 2020 due to the pandemic. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
Sophomore Matthew Morgan (left) and senior Tristian Cassady perform during the 11th Annual Jefferson Free Holiday Dinner at Jefferson High School in southwest Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023. Student leaders work with staff to gather donations locally to support the event. The meal includes turkey gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, roll, homemade desserts, and a beverage. Jefferson students, staff, and community serve every guest from start to finish. The event usually serves between 1,000-1,500 people each year. The event took off 2020 due to the pandemic. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
A sign on a board during the 11th Annual Jefferson Free Holiday Dinner at Jefferson High School in southwest Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023. Student leaders work with staff to gather donations locally to support the event. The meal includes turkey gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, roll, homemade desserts, and a beverage. Jefferson students, staff, and community serve every guest from start to finish. The event usually serves between 1,000-1,500 people each year. The event took off 2020 due to the pandemic. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
Language arts teacher Mathew (cq) Colling offers dessert to Megan Smith, 6, and her mother Ashley during the 11th Annual Jefferson Free Holiday Dinner at Jefferson High School in southwest Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023. Student leaders work with staff to gather donations locally to support the event. The meal includes turkey gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, roll, homemade desserts, and a beverage. Jefferson students, staff, and community serve every guest from start to finish. The event usually serves between 1,000-1,500 people each year. The event took off 2020 due to the pandemic. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
Senior Aidan O’Connor (center) has his picture taken with Santa Claus (aka Geof (cq) Knoerzer) and Mrs. Claus (aka Marie Kann) during the 11th Annual Jefferson Free Holiday Dinner at Jefferson High School in southwest Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023. Through his father John O’Connor, Aidan has helped all 11 years. Student leaders work with staff to gather donations locally to support the event. The meal includes turkey gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, roll, homemade desserts, and a beverage. Jefferson students, staff, and community serve every guest from start to finish. The event usually serves between 1,000-1,500 people each year. The event took off 2020 due to the pandemic. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
For the second year, Jefferson High School students will serve a free meal to the community in the high school cafeteria on Dec. 18. More than 650 people were served at the event, which started as a holiday service project, in 2012. This year students hope to serve more than 1,000. (Courtesy photo)
CEDAR RAPIDS — Jefferson High School students opened the doors to their community last week for their annual free holiday dinner with a lot of holiday cheer.
Donations were accepted at the door to benefit CR netWORK, a local nonprofit organization that supports kids on the west side of Cedar Rapids.
This is the 11th year student leaders have worked with staff at Jefferson High to gather donations locally to support the event. The meal included turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole and homemade desserts. The event serves between 1,000 to 1,500 people each year.
“It’s cool to see our Westside community come together to put on this annual event. It’s grown every year, and it shows who we are as a community and that we care,” said Aidan O’Connor, a senior at Jefferson High.
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