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3w ago

San Antonio’s Jimenez Thanksgiving Dinner Preps Record Crowd With 29,000 Meals Planned

Organizers say rising need is driving a larger operation this year.

 Patricia Jimenez, chairwoman of the Raul Jimenez Thanksgiving Dinner and daughter of the dinner's late founder Raul Jimenez, poses for a photo with Dr. Robert Schnitzler at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. Schnitzler has led the volunteer medical team for the dinner since 1980.
Guests find a place to sit during the 45th annual Raul Jimenez Thanksgiving Dinner last year at the Convention Center. The event was first held in San Antonio in 1979.
Dr. Robert Schnitzler, center, poses for a photo with with Patricia Jimenez, right, chairwoman of the Raul Jimenez Thanksgiving Dinner, and other volunteers of the annual holiday dinner. Schnitzler has overseen the volunteer medical team for the dinner since 1980. 
Felipe Vargas, 80, walks by a portrait of Raul Jimenez during the annual Raul Jimenez Thanksgiving Dinner at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center on Nov. 25, 2010. 

Overview

  • Organizers expect to serve roughly 29,000 people in person and deliver 4,600 meals to homebound residents, the largest turnout in the event’s 46 years.
  • Food preparation is underway at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, with 678 turkeys and thousands of pounds of sides being readied for Thanksgiving Day.
  • All home-delivery slots are filled and all volunteer shifts are assigned, with about 4,000 volunteers preparing, serving and cleaning up.
  • VIA Metropolitan Transit will offer fare-free trips to and from the convention center for attendees on Thanksgiving.
  • A volunteer medical team led by Dr. Robert Schnitzler will operate two emergency stations with ambulance crews on standby for on-site care.