Southeastern elite youth football teams serve Thanksgiving dinner to Durant residents

DURANT, Okla (KXII) - Durant residents are getting in the holiday spirit this season by giving back to the community.

This is the third annual Thanksgiving dinner hosted by The Donald W. Reynolds Library in Durant and all hands were on deck while volunteers of all ages serve hundreds of citizens.

Library Director, Robbee Tonubbee said, “It’s cute, they’re out there handing out desserts and checking on people and refilling drinks.”

Once you walk through the doors of the library, you’re greeted with warm smiles and people willing to serve.

Tonubbee said, “The dinner didn’t start until 5 pm today. We started serving about 4:30 and I think we already served probably a hundred people before we even started.”

Volunteer, Jodi Robinson said with this year being the first year back since Covid, the turnout was amazing.

Robinson said, “As a small community, it’s good to bring everybody together and show that we actually care and just to be grateful for what we have.”

For some residents, like Ashlynn Bridges, stopping by the library is a tradition.

Bridges said, “We came here to celebrate my uncle and he usually comes, and his sister in-law comes, and we celebrate thanksgiving and spend time with our family.”

Tonubbee said she’s proud of the turnout not just from residents, but from volunteers as well.

She said, “It shows that there are people that are out there that want to help and that want to serve their community, and being basically a non-denominational event to bring all these different people together.”

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