SUMPTER — Laramie Shanks is in constant motion between the potato peeling station, the potato boiling station, and pie slicing table.

Then she pauses, pulls out her phone and makes a quick call for extra items she needs from the store to ensure that residents of Sumpter and Granite sit down to a full Thanksgiving meal on Thursday, Nov. 23.

And she’s not alone in this endeavor — she was joined by nine other local residents working to prep the holiday meal at the Sumpter schoolhouse on Wednesday, Nov. 22.

Shanks said invitations for the free Thanksgiving meal were mailed to every resident in the areas of Sumpter and Granite earlier this month. On the day before the holiday, she’d received 80 responses.

She knew that wouldn’t be the final count.

“It’ll be a lot more than that,” Shanks said.

Last year brought 120 diners. This is the fourth year she’s organized a group to provide a free community meal.

“Once upon a time, it used to be every year,” she said. “We’re bringing it back for a sense of community. Everybody does a part. It’s super cool.”

Wednesday morning brought the biggest task of peeling, chopping, boiling and mashing more than 100 pounds of potatoes. Kimberly and Michael Ballard, James Eckstein and Kathy Todhunter made quick work of this job.

Across the room, in a cloud of steam rising from four boiling pots, John Young worked on mashing — first by hand, then by mixer.

Mashing 100 pounds of potatoes didn’t dampen his appetite for the creamy spuds.

“Of course not, are you kidding?” he said with a laugh, splashing a bit more whole milk into the mixture.

Soon the six hams arrived — smoked on the barbecue by Matt Edison at the Sumpter Nugget Cafe — and the turkeys went in the oven to roast for the afternoon.

Next came preparation of the stuffing, sweet potatoes, green beans and cranberry sauce.

Linda Wise methodically sliced through apple pies and pumpkin pies and one pecan pie before stacking each in the fridge, alongside cans of whipped cream.

“Those of us who can’t cook, cut pies,” she said with a grin.

Once cooked, the dishes were cooled and refrigerated overnight.

“We’re here bright and early in the morning to heat everything up,” Kimberly Ballard said.

Thursday’s dinner ran from 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., and boxed meals were delivered to those who couldn’t attend in person.

“We deliver a lot of meals to ones who are sick or don’t want to come out,” Cindy Remington said as she wrapped packets of plastic utensils. “We don’t want anybody to go hungry.”

All the food is donated for the meal, and any donations collected at this year’s dinner go toward the 2024 community dinner that brings together neighbors from near and far.

“It’s exciting to watch everyone have a good time,” Michael Ballard said as he sliced the smoked hams. “I love being a part of it.”