PLATTSBURGH — Sitting on his walker, Floyd Pelkey enjoyed a smoke and Thursday's balmy temp as he waited for a ride outside the Plattsburgh Elks Lodge.

The Plattsburgh resident was among 350 people who attended the Salvation Army Thanksgiving Day Feast.

"It was a lot better this year," Pelkey said. "It was very good. I had a hard time finishing my plate. They brought me a plate overloaded. It was all good. They did a very good job."

PIANIST AT THE KEYS
Thursday's menu included turkey, dressing, ham, potatoes, gravy, yams, corn, green beans, rolls and sourdough bread. Cranberry sauce was not canned but a homemade recipe of Salvation Army Capt. Wendy Goodman. Desserts included apple and pumpkin pie, sugar cookies and brownie-chocolate-nut bars.

Inside the lodge, Ernie and Elizabeth Hebert waited for a ride home. It was their first time attending the event.

"It was good," Elizabeth Hebert said. "I wish I could take some home."

Besides the regular gorgeous view of Lake Champlain, the diner's ambiance was increased this year by pianist Nicholas Payette.

"He asked me what his contribution could be," said his father, Elks Exalted Ruler Christopher J. Payette. "He's home from Clarkson University. I thought this would a great idea. It was nice."

Head cook Harold Fox's day started at 5:30 a.m. Ham and turkeys were roasted in advance by the Plattsburgh Elks Lodge staff. Fox and his staff prepared most of the trimmings beforehand at their facility.

"We had everything up to temperature and helped them set up the tables," said Fox, who is the Salvation Army Soup Kitchen coordinator.

Plattsburgh City firefighters circled the building before entering to gift Capt. Larry Goodman with a donation.

"We invite them every year, but they have their own thing at the station," Goodman said. "We're here to give back to the community."

It takes many hands to put on the annual feast for 400. Goodman observed the idle time between the second and third wave of diners.

"We're at about 350 right now," he said. "We would rather be over prepared than under prepared. We have about 40 volunteers. This is part of what we do."

GIVING BACK
Behind the scenes, the Salvation Army is assisted by known and anonymous sources.

"One person donated 30 25-pound turkeys," Goodman said. "We got 25 frozen pies from St. Peter's Church. (The contribution) came from a member of their congregation."

Diners ranged from Salvation Army regulars to first-timers such as the Heberts.

"We're just a family here," Goodman said. "That's the chief aim. There's no separation."

This year's place mat featured a "Kid's corner" with puzzles, mazes and word find. The flip side listed the Elks National Foundation's contributions to drug awareness, scholarships, scouting, community programs and disaster relief.

"So many people don't understand what the Elks do in and around the community anymore," Payette said.

Reaching out to community is why Tanisha Johansen, 12, and Rachel Garrant, 16, volunteered. After serving the first and second wave of diners, the two sat down with Ashley Durocher, a staffer at Champlain Home for Children.

"We live in a group home," Garrant said. "The community helped us, so we wanted to give back."

"Everyone in the group home does it every year," Johansen said.

E-mail Robin Caudell at: rcaudell@pressrepublican.com