GALT, CA (MPG) - The Galt Sunrise Rotary Club hosted its 15th annual community dinner at the Littleton Center on Saturday, Dec. 13. It was free entry where anyone could stop by for a plate of food.

The club served plates with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, greens and bread, along with a piece of pumpkin pie for dessert. At 2 p.m., Santa made an appearance, and children were able to sit on his lap for a picture.

“Galt Rotary Club has been providing free meals at Christmas for 15 years. Generally, you have about 1,000 to 1,500 people show up,” said Foundation Chair David Herburger.

 

“This is our way of saying, ‘Welcome, everybody. Have some food; let’s break bread together, stand shoulder to shoulder and make Galt a better place,’” Galt Sunrise Rotary Club Foundation Chair David Herburger said. 

Herburger added that planning for the dinner usually begins a few months in advance. About two weeks before the event, the club starts gathering all of the needed ingredients. He noted that only a few days prior, the club received 80 turkeys from member Jerry Broxmeyer that had to be thawed.

While the turkeys thawed, volunteers and Rotary members set up the equipment needed to cook all of the food. Once everything was ready, member Pedro Ramos took the lead as chef.

“This is our way of saying, ‘Welcome, everybody. Have some food; let’s break bread together, stand shoulder to shoulder and make Galt a better place,’” Herburger said.

 

Attendees begin to take pieces of pie after finishing their dinner plates. 

The community dinner is the Galt Sunrise Rotary Club’s biggest event of the year and serves as a way to give back to the community. Its efforts continued even during COVID, when the club worked with the Sunshine Food Pantry to provide boxes of food for residents.

Club President Rich Lozano credited member Winona Cassidy with coming up with the idea to give back to the community in this way.

“It is for the community. You come, have a meal together for the holidays and really enjoy each other,” Lozano said.

 

“It is for the community. You come, have a meal together for the holidays and really enjoy each other,” Galt Sunrise Rotary Club President Rich Lozano said.  

The Rotary Club also fundraises throughout the year. During June and July, the club sponsors a fireworks booth, and it holds a taco dinner at the beginning of May.

The club’s fundraisers help to support events such as the community dinner, giving everyone an opportunity to come together as a whole community.

“Galt is the best-kept secret in Sacramento County. We spend the entire year raising money and then giving it back to the community,” Herburger said.

 

A parent takes a photo of Santa with her child at the Galt Sunrise Rotary Club community dinner.