By TIM UNRUH

Salina Journal

Marlene Arthur doesn't waver in her yearly commitment to join her children in serving at the Salvation Army Thanksgiving Dinner.

Making the holiday special for hundreds during the dinner, which begins at noon today at Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar, 2875 S. Ninth, brings back memories of when her personal life wasn't so grand.

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"When I got a divorce, I had lots of people help out with me and the kids, bringing me food at certain times of the year. It felt good," said Arthur, 60, Beverly.

"Now, it makes me feel good to help somebody else," she said.

The routine for Marlene and her children -- Wayne of Minneapolis and twins Lily of Hillsboro and Nate of Manhattan -- involves getting up early and reporting to the Salina restaurant with dozens of other volunteers, to set up and serve the traditional turkey meal.

They are among some 60 volunteers, 40 of them associated with Minneapolis firm G.L. Huyett. Wayne is a machinist and setup person for the firm, which makes and sells industrial fasteners.

Helping with the meal precedes a large family Thanksgiving gathering -- usually 50 or more people -- in Beverly at the home of Marlene's brother and sister-in law, Joe and Debbie Flaherty

Special memories

The Salvation Army event has provided heirlooms of special memories for Marlene and her children.

There were the precious minutes Lily spent in 2002, across the table from an old Navy veteran, just listening.

Retired, alone and with no family nearby, the gentleman took in the Salvation Army dinner.

"I remember sitting there, letting him tell his story. He didn't have anybody," said Lily, 33, who's volunteered at the dinner for six years. She's a staff accountant for Adams, Brown, Beran and Ball, a Hillsboro accounting firm.

"I don't know if I can say what I did for him, but I know he made my day more special," said Lily.

Wayne, 37, recalls a woman in 2003 who walked from near Interstate Highway 70 in north Salina to pick up free dinners at Applebee's.

The woman told volunteers she had been camping for a week in a wooded area with her husband, and that they hadn't eaten in three days.

When her husband lost his job in Washington State, the couple decided to hitchhike home to Maine. A volunteer drove the woman and four dinners back to north Salina, where the woman exited into the woods.

"(Volunteering) makes you realize how fortunate you are and lets you give back a little bit. It's kind of rewarding," Wayne said.

Brings tears to her eyes

Many of the 600 to more than 1,200 guests who stop by have touching tales, said Debbie Andrews, operations manager at G.L. Huyett. She helps organize the dinner and volunteers with her daughter Rhea, 16.

"Every year there's been that one story that brings tears to your eyes," Andrews said.

During one Thanksgiving meal, while business owner Tim O'Keeffe, Hastings, Neb., helped deliver meals, he met a Salina woman whose front door was falling off of its hinges.

"(O'Keeffe) sent someone back over there to fix her door," Andrews said.

To Lily, the dinner is about fun, and the dividends of helping out are simple and rich.

"When you get a smile from somebody, that makes everything seem like it's worth it," she said. "I love helping people."

Fills a void for many

The dinner fills a void for many, said Marlene, who works at Tony's Pizza in Salina.

Some people attend the Salvation Army dinner because they otherwise might not have much to eat. Others have the means but crave the fellowship, Wayne said.

"All of it's special because they have someplace to go, even if they don't have a family in the area," Marlene said. "And they have a hot meal.

"It's a wonderful thing that they're doing," she said.

Nate Arthur didn't plan to attend today's dinner, because he's hosting eight international visitors -- from Korea and Vietnam, some of them K-State students -- at the Arthur family dinner in Beverly.

But he plans a return next year to volunteer at the dinner. "I will continue doing it as long as I'm around," Nate said.

"In our family, we give," Lilly said. "I guess that's because we had people help us out. It's a cool family to be part of."

n Reporter Tim Unruh can be reached at 822-1419 or by e-mail at tunruh@salina.com.

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