Becky Long • Clay County Progress Clay County Sheriff’s Office workers join the sheriff’s family members in manning the drive-thru station used for Saturday’s annual Sheriff’s Christmas Dinner. Shown, from left, are Andy Andrews, April Deese, Emma Deese, Sheriff Bobby Deese, Bryan Forsyth and Steven Evans. The two young volunteers in front are Brooklyn Woodard, 9, and Bailee Woodard, who will turn 7 in January, The girls helped serve during last years’s dinner. When asked why she liked to help, Brooklyn sai
Saturday’s annual Sheriff’s Christmas Dinner offered the traditional meal of turkey with all the trimmings, but this year it was served in an untraditional manner.
“This year has been so strange and out of sorts with COVID looming over us,” said Clay County Sheriff Bobby Deese. “We could not have the senior dinner like we have done it in the past, but we felt as if we could not cancel the dinner because so many people depend on it.”
Deese and crew found a novel way to ensure the event was safe, successful and uninterrupted. In addition to home-bound deliveries, a station was set up outside the Hayesville schools cafeteria where warm meals were handed to residents through car windows. “We all look forward to doing this every year, but wanted to keep the health of our seniors a priority. A drive-thru pick-up was the only thing we could come up with to keep the program going,” he said.
About 25 staff members and volunteers were involved in the dinner. Workers began the prep work Friday night and came in around 6:30 a.m. Saturday to finish cooking, preparing to-go plates and setting up the drive-thru station. “Everybody did something,” said sheriff’s assistant, Tabitha Sellers.
While the amenities of entertainment and indoor seating were not part of this year’s event, about 325 local residents still enjoyed a complimentary, home-cooked turkey dinner and traditional sides. That number was not far from the 400-plus served last year.
“We were surprised and thrilled that many people were served,” said Sellers. “Hopefully next year COVID will all be a thing of the past and we can get back to normalcy,” Deese said. “If all goes well next year will be much bigger and will be able to serve more seniors than ever.”
The annual Sheriff’s Christmas Dinner was founded by former sheriff Howard Barnard in the mid ‘80s. It was created as a venue to encourage older residents to get out of the house for the holidays and enjoy food and fellowship among friends, new and old. Sheriff Tony Woody hosted the dinner for the 22 years he was in office. Sheriff Vic Davis kept up the tradition for his two terms, followed by Deese, who is in his second year as sheriff and host of the three decade-plus old event.