Courtesy LEAP
The following was submitted by LEAP Director Henry Fernandez.
Last Tuesday, LEAP held its annual Thankful Dinner with several hundred kids, counselors and volunteers in attendance at the Hillhouse High School cafeteria. Food was donated by LEAP supporters and board members while volunteers included LEAP alumni, LEAP parents and recruits from the New Haven Police Academy.
The Thankful Dinner is one of the few times each year that children from all of LEAP’s community based programs come together. It is a chance to build community and to see smiling faces galore.
An important piece of LEAP tradition is that the Thankful Dinner kicks off with children sharing what they are thankful for. Most cite family, friends and their counselors in LEAP in their well-crafted speeches. While the speeches mean a lot, food is a big part of the evening. Year after year Chef Edwin Armstrong and his students at Eli Whitney Vocational Tech High School donate their services and cook the delicious turkeys.
LEAP Alumni were joined by New Haven Police Department Recruits in serving hundreds of meals. There was laughter and singing, with volunteers and LEAP members giving thanks throughout. Every LEAP Thankful Dinner ends with dancing to the latest hits. This year was no different.
