Joseph S. Pete
Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana Gary passed out more than 500 Thanksgiving dinners to needy families during the snowstorm Thursday.
About 50 casino employees helped prepare dinners that people picked up at the Salvation Army of Lake County Gary-Merrillville Corps Community Center in Gary.
"We started doing this in 2021 when the casino opened," said Patrick Brown, Vice President of Food and Beverage at Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana. "During COVID, we adapted to this drive-up model, which became popular."
The casino fed 200 families the first year, but word got out. The program has expanded to feed 500 families every Thanksgiving.
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"We get great participation and attendance from surrounding communities," he said. "We support a lot of charities over the year but it's a good time to give back on Thanksgiving. This is a fun one. We give them full, legit meals with roasted turkeys."
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Chefs prepare meals that include roasted turkey, gravy, sage bread dressing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, ham, green bean casserole, salad with vinaigrette dressing, a dinner roll with butter and a slice of pumpkin pie.
"We get the food from our vendor U.S. Foods, so it's the same high quality as what we serve in the casino," he said. "Our culinary team sets up a kitchen line and builds the meals like it's doing catering. We have a lot of volunteers and hand the food through the car windows."
Many Hard Rock Casino employees volunteer every year for the Thanksgiving food giveaway for the chance to give back.
"It's one of many charities we give to throughout the year but it's a great event that kicks off the holiday season," he said. "We exist because of the community we're in so we try to give back to the community."
A look back at Northwest Indiana businesses that closed in 2023
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