SAN ANTONIO – With his plate full and his family by his side, David Cruz Pena said he’s more than thankful this holiday season.
“We’re having a wonderful meal, and thank God for Raul Jimenez for starting this so many years ago,” Pena said.
Thursday marked 45 years of the Raul Jimenez Thanksgiving Dinner. The dinner is an annual free meal for San Antonio residents in need, and thousands came together this year at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center.
“This is a San Antonio tradition,” Patricia Jimenez, Jimenez’s daughter, said. “Nobody should be alone on Thanksgiving Day.”
Jimenez said seeing a room full of people for the annual dinner makes her feel emotional.
“You know, it makes me want to cry,” Jimenez replied. “It breathes life into my spirit.”
The dinner serves more than 25,000 people across South Central Texas each year. It has the reputation of being one of the largest Thanksgiving meals in the country.
“I’ve probably been coming the last ten years, and I love it every time,” attendee Kurtis Debrow said.
“What are you most thankful for this season?” KSAT asked.
“Well, I’m getting over a quadruple open bypass heart surgery,” Debrow said. “That’s my greatest thanks to God. He gave me another heart.”
For those enjoying the meal and the volunteers serving it, this gathering is all about fostering community connections.
“Raul Jimenez gave me my first Thanksgiving dinner when I left the military,” volunteer Carlos Antonio said. “That was 25 years ago, and I come back ever since.”
More information about the Raul Jimenez Thanksgiving Dinner can be found online.
