Written by: Dani "Elizah" Lacasse
Every year around this time we often find ourselves asking “What am I thankful for?” From good health, to family & friendship, another big thing that always crosses my mind is how grateful I am for being part of such a supportive community that cares so deeply about service and giving back to others. Nedengiving is one of many of those events that embodies just that, and I for one am thrilled to see it back in full swing.
For starters, this event hosts Nedens annual canned food drive that will be supporting the Veterans North East Outreach Center. Bringing at least 5 cans will not only provide a discount on the event entry fee but traditionally has gotten you some tickets to enter in their auction. And if the prizes from Neden BBQ this year are any indication of what's in store for the auction table, you definitely don't want to miss out. The last canned food drive they hosted, the community brought in over 600 cans to donate. [and I challenge us to beat that number this year!]
For folks who haven't had the pleasure of attending this event in the past and may need a little more convincing, there's typically a little bit of activity for everyone to enjoy. Mingling and gambling amongst them, though some of my past favorites that I hope are making a return are the various carnival games including Lord Syruss’s favorite of course, cornhole and Nymbous's SmithNEDian Museum that displays some of Nedens magical artifacts. JB also announced that a new activity to the Neden Hall, that we saw last at their BBQ will be making a reappearance and trust me, even if you don't participate, Judge Dresden is just as entertaining to observe.
Oh, and obviously there's the food! The food at this feast has never disappointed (except that one time with Madame Zarine and cranberry sauce, but you'll need to ask her about that some other time) with their generous conventional spread of “givings” foods, though this year I hear whispers of sea crustaceans as part of the menu? Whatever is served, I'm sure it'll be delicious!
Back in April our dearest Neden friends hosted their first event back in five years and it truly felt like they never missed a beat. The energy and atmosphere were as welcoming and as lively as ever and I expect that Nedengiving will be no different. So grab your cans and pull up a chair.
See you in the hall,
Sir Elizah