A non-profit in Dallas worked with the Statler Hotel and the company that manages several restaurants at the site to host a project called, "Thanksgiving for your Service." The event invited police, firefighters, medical workers, veterans and their families for a free Thanksgiving dinner.
"It's just a good feeling for them to be able to come in, sit down and relax a bit, just say, 'Okay, let me take a load off, enjoy and have some fun and have some good turkey," says Chef Jason Tillman with Refined Hospitality Concepts, the company that manages several restaurants at the Statler. "They are always needed, they're always appreciated, and they're the reason we're free today."
"We were actually able to get off for a second, no calls at the moment, and come out and enjoy a great meal," a Dallas Police officer said. "We would like to thank you all for having us out."
The non-profit, Operation Forever Free, was launched in 2004 to help injured veterans design and pay for homes that suit their needs.
"When we came home, we weren't accepted," said a Vietnam veteran who attended "Thanksgiving for your Service" with his wife. "So when these other kids come home, we want to show them how we appreciate it."
Tillman says he hopes the dinner can give people who work under constant pressure a chance to get to know others who understand the same perspective.
"To come together in a place where you can have a good meal, be thankful for what you have, where you came from and what you've done, and have a chance to talk to people about it, it's almost therapy in a way," Tillman says.
This was the third year for Refined Hospitality Concepts' "Thanksgiving for your Service".
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