WDAY Radio reported that the sixteenth annual event, hosted at the Elks Club in Bismarck-Mandan, brought together twelve hundred veterans and first responders for a special community dinner. Steve Schwan, who provided details of the occasion, noted that the community gathering has a long-standing history rooted in appreciation for those who serve the public. According to Steve Schwan, the dinner was originally co-founded sixteen years ago by Steve Schwan and Bruce Benz as a way to honor local individuals. When the event first started out sixteen years ago, Steve Schwan explained that the initial goal was much smaller, aiming to serve just two hundred veterans before expanding significantly over the years. Reflecting on the initial idea behind the gathering, Steve Schwan told WDAY Radio, "It was just one of those things that we were sitting there and wouldn’t it be nice if we could show some appreciation to the veterans?"
Serving a massive crowd of twelve hundred veterans and first responders requires extensive preparation by Elks Club volunteers and staff. To feed the attendees during the sixteenth year of the tradition, Elks Club volunteers meticulously prepared fifty-five turkeys, with each of the turkeys weighing twenty-five pounds. In addition to the fifty-five turkeys weighing twenty-five pounds each, the menu for the twelve hundred veterans and first responders included a total of one hundred seventy-five pumpkin pies prepared for the gathering.
To ensure that the large-scale dining operation runs smoothly for the twelve hundred veterans and first responders in attendance, a substantial workforce is required on site. A total of seventy-five employees staff the serving lines throughout the Elks Club during the event, keeping the food moving efficiently to the guests. Steve Schwan emphasized how far the dinner has come since the days when the event started with an initial goal of two hundred veterans. Discussing the massive success and smooth organization of the sixteenth annual dinner, Steve Schwan told WDAY Radio, "It just has grown into just a well-oiled machine that we take care of a lot of people that deserve it. And we look forward to doing it."
