NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — The Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office made sure no one spent Thanksgiving alone by hosting the 49th annual Sheriff’s Thanksgiving Day Celebration downtown on Thursday, Nov, 23.
OPSO staff and hundreds of volunteers prepared more than 2,500 holiday meals for community members in need, including residents of senior centers, assisted living facilities and local shelters. The menu features traditional Thanksgiving fare, such as turkey, stuffing, yams, peas, rolls, and sweet potato or pecan pies.
Each table was decorated for the occasion and featured handmade cards from 10 students from each area school.
Music played a central role in the festivities, with performances by trumpeter James Andrews, guitarist Leo Nocentelli, Keith Claiborne, Rochelle Cook, Gina Brown and “Soul Queen of New Orleans” Irma Thomas backed by the OPSO Special Reserve Band.
The event also featured a vendor square, showcasing community partners like Entergy, People’s Health, Metropolitan Human Services District, Aetna, Total Community Action, Humana, and Lighthouse for the Blind.
The celebration runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Hall G of the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.
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