Anaheim Ducks players Trevor Zegras, left, and John Gibson serve Thanksgiving dinners during the We Give Thanks event at Honda Center in Anaheim, CA on Thursday, November 23, 2023. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Haili Plancarte and her daughter Penelope eat their Thanksgiving dinner during the We Give Thanks event at Honda Center in Anaheim, CA on Thursday, November 23, 2023. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Madelaine Ordonez and her daughter Elise get their Thanksgiving dinner during the We Give Thanks event at Honda Center in Anaheim, CA on Thursday, November 23, 2023. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
People line up for Thanksgiving meals during the We Give Thanks event at Honda Center in Anaheim, CA on Thursday, November 23, 2023. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Anaheim Ducks players serve Thanksgiving dinners during the We Give Thanks event at Honda Center in Anaheim, CA on Thursday, November 23, 2023. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Humberto Orozco gets his turkey dinner from Angela Hayward during the We Give Thanks event at Honda Center in Anaheim, CA on Thursday, November 23, 2023. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
It wasn’t just the afternoon temperatures that were warming the hearts of those gathered in the parking lot of the Honda Center on Thursday, it was the community spirit as hundreds shared a Thanksgiving meal.
The We Give Thanks meal is a tradition started by Anaheim restaurateur Frank Garcia that is in its 37th year. Seeing people with no where to go or the means for preparing a big holiday meal, he started serving a dinner for the community to enjoy at his La Casa Garcia. In more recent years, the We Give Thanks Foundation was formed and more sponsors have come on to help and the gathering moved to the Honda Center.
Each year volunteers have manned their stations, chatting with and serving the guests who come throughout the afternoon. More than 230,000 meals have been served in event’s first 36 years and the Garcia family is still involved.
