The holiday came to Colfax a day early for those who enjoyed the Community Thanksgiving Dinner, sponsored by the Lions Club of Colfax, on Nov. 23 at the Sierra Vista Community Center Hot turkey dinners with all the fixings were served to approximately 320 guests who filtered into the community center. Another 125 dinners were made for the homebound and delivered by a group of 10 volunteers, including Austin McKinney, 10, and 16-year-old David Vallance, Boy Scouts from Troop 25. According to club member Ernie Steiner, there was an increase of people attending this year’s community dinner as opposed to last year, but the Lions had enough food to provide meals for everyone. “We had 14 turkeys donated to us by Sierra Market and also 72 pies,” Steiner said. Sierra Market, of Colfax, sold the rest of the food – including ingredients for making mashed potatoes, stuffing and gravy – at cost to the Colfax Lions. Everything was created from scratch by approximately 25 volunteers who signed up to help before the event and another 15 volunteers who showed up on Wednesday to volunteer. The owners of Sierra Market have been donors for the last 10 years and their generosity was recognized with a plaque presentation during this year’s dinner. Sam Newton and Sher Campbell were present and accepted the plaque; co-owners Dave and Merva Stallions had a previous engagement. “It’s an honor and pleasure being part of this community and also to be here to enjoy and share too,” Newton said. “It’s a community dinner and it’s a great opportunity to get together with the locals, many who shop at our store,” Campbell said. On Wednesday morning, decorations were being set out by the Colfax Lioness Club, bringing the Thanksgiving spirit to the Sierra Vista Community Center. In the kitchen, the cooks and servers were in full swing, greeting customers with smiles as they passed the buffet line. Colfax Mayor Ken Delfino participated in the serving line and got some help from Girl Scouts Troop 1252 members Lilli Conrad, 10, of Meadow Vista, and 11-year-old Taylor Hawkins, of Weimar. Back on the stove, Judi Cowart-Anderson, of Colfax. helped create the perfect gravy with Dan Archer, who was visiting from Oregon. Archer and his wife have traveled to Colfax for the past 16 years to volunteer at the dinner. Across the room, trying pumpkin pie for the first time, was 22-month-old Haleigh Large, of Colfax, with her grandmother, Genny Claxton. Haleigh was more amused with the pie’s texture than the flavor. Claxton said that in the past years she has enjoyed volunteering in the preparation and serving, but this year she chose to spend the day with her granddaughter. At the other end of the table from Large, five-year-old Wyatt Morgan shared a plate of mashed potatoes with Tina Steel who has been attending the event for 14 years. And Warren Wegner, Colfax mayor in 1994, loaded up plates of pumpkin pie, making sure they had ample amounts of whipped cream.