(Washington, DC) – The Washington Convention Center Authority (WCCA) and Safeway, Inc. celebrate the spirit of giving at the 9th Annual Safeway Feast of Sharing at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on Wednesday, November 26, 2008 from 11:30 am to 2 pm. City officials are expected to attend the event which has become a meaningful Thanksgiving tradition in the District.
“Each year we are humbled by the spirit of generosity that this occasion fosters,” said Mayor Fenty. “The Annual Feast of Sharing is instrumental in strengthening our sense of community here in the District and reminds us all to be thankful for the present and hopeful about our future.”
Feast attendees will enjoy a free traditional turkey meal with all of the trimmings served by hundreds of volunteers. They are also invited participate in an “independence expo” featuring community service organizations, health screenings, including free flu vaccinations from the DC Immunization as well as employment and training opportunities. Elderly citizens may take part in “Sit and Be Fit,” a health and nutrition program for the senior population.
Over the past eight years, the Feast of Sharing has benefited more than 40,000 District residents and due to a struggling economy, organizers expect a rise in participation this year.
“What a privilege it is to be able to serve our neighbors in these times of economic hardships. To see the outpouring of support of community participation is a true measure of what it means to give,” said WCCA Board Chairperson Beverly Perry.
Several organizations provide supplies, materials, equipment and volunteers to make Safeway’s Feast of Sharing possible each year, including the Department of Employment Services, Centerplate/NBSE, WPGC-FM, Salvation Army, SunTrust Bank, Metropolitan Baptist Church and the Mid-Atlantic Gleaning Network.
“We are pleased to partner with Safeway for this significant event and look forward to welcoming District residents for a ninth consecutive year to ensure they have access to city services, employment opportunities and a delicious holiday meal,” added Gregory A. O’Dell, WCCA chief executive officer and general manager. “We are grateful to be able to provide an intersection of business, government and philanthropy at our facility.”
“The only way an event of this kind can take place is through the spirit of giving,” said Gregory Ten Eyck, Safeway’s eastern director of public affairs. “All the partners associated with this function are donating their time and services because each of us believes we are sharing not only a holiday meal, but also a message of hope to our neighbors in need.”
The Feast of Sharing comes just a month after Safeway opened a state-of-the-art store in CityVista, two blocks south of the Convention Center that serves as centerpiece of the revitalization of the Mt. Vernon Triangle neighborhood. The 57,607 square-foot facility is the first full-service grocery store to operate in downtown District of Columbia and Safeway’s first within the District in more than a decade. Safeway is the District’s largest grocery chain, operating 17 stores in the city.