Thanksgiving comes early to Tiger Mountain

Three hundred deviled eggs. Three hundred servings of mashed potatoes, stuffing, and green beans. Forty pies. Five turkeys. Five gallons of gravy. One "tofurkey" (tofu turkey).

Boy, does Tiger Mountain Community High School know how to put on a Thanksgiving feast! In what has now become an annual tradition, students and staff came together with parent and community volunteers before the holiday break to give thanks for another successful school year.

Gathering around heaping plates, many students counted their blessings: an educational environment that supports their diverse needs; staff that cares deeply and invests a tremendous amount of personal time and resources to help them; the opportunity to do great things after graduation; friends; family; pets; iPods; skateboards…

And of course, the food.

"It's good, sooooooooo good," said senior Nick Krouskop. "It's just what I'd hoped for."

Krouskop plans to attend a culinary program at a school like the Art Institute next year, so part of his graduation project was putting on the Thanksgiving feast. He helped organize the volunteers and plan the meal. At about 8:30 a.m., he started cooking the green beans, potatoes, tofurkey, and gravy in the school's kitchen to prepare for the flood of 120 or so hungry guests at 11:30 a.m.

Community volunteers brought in the cooked turkeys and stuffing. Parents and students unloaded 40 Costco pies from their cars. Tiger's mentoring class decorated tables with gourds and turkey napkin holders.

The meal-made possible by staff, parent, and community donations-was a success, by all accounts. The effectiveness of classroom instruction for the rest of the day, however, was questionable as tryptophan levels quickly escalated.

"I need a nap now," senior Jessica Shafer said as she finished her apple pie.

Principal Ed Marcoe and his mom (background) enjoy the feast.	Teacher Lane Helgeson carves the tofurkey.	Senior Jessica Shafer contemplates saving room for pie.
Senior Nick Krouskop, who hopes to be a professional chef, checks the vintage of the bottle of apple cider presented by teacher Bettina Gehle.	Community volunteers cooked and served the turkeys and stuffing.