Thousands line up for 32nd annual Thanksgiving In The Park

IMMOKALEE, Fla. – Thousands of people showed up on Thursday for the 32nd annual Thanksgiving day in the park.

Every year the Guadalupe Center serves up a hot turkey dinner for farm workers and the community.

“It’s a great place to be with family and friends, it’s pretty nice here,” said Gladis Soriano.

Thanksgiving In The Park has become a yearly tradition for Soriano and her family.

“This is a big community and we’re all together and we’re all family here, so everybody’s welcome.”

Soriano and her family joined thousands who waited in line to get a hot turkey dinner with all the trimmings. The food was served by more than 100 volunteers, some as young as 12.

“I’m thankful for my family, for the life that I have and I’m thankful for giving all these people food so they’ll spend time with their family,” said Faith Harding.

This is Harding’s second year volunteering, but other volunteers like Gretchen Coyle have been doing this for about 15 years.

“We come two hours to come here, that’s how much this means to us,” said Coyle.

Coyle said she wouldn’t spend her Thanksgiving any other way. “People leave here and they thank us as they go out and you don’t hear that, that often.”

“We’re very thankful, I think everybody here is thankful, some people aren’t in that position of having money to serve their families so we are very happy that they help us here.”

Thanksgiving In The Park is one of the largest Thanksgiving feasts in Southwest Florida. About 3,000 meals were served there Thursday afternoon.