SALT LAKE CITY — From serving up meals to strapping on the sneakers for a good cause, Utahns woke up bright and early on Thanksgiving morning to show their gratitude for their communities.
At the University of Utah campus, hundreds of volunteers gathered together to package meals to be delivered through the Salvation Army.
In total, 1,000 meals were packaged up to be delivered to Utahns in need this Thanksgiving holiday.
Pumpkin pie, turkey, mashed potatoes and all the traditional Thanksgiving fixings were portioned out to be distributed for the holiday.
The Salvation Army told FOX 13 News the effort is the largest feeding event in Salt Lake City on Turkey Day.
Of course, the dinner delivery wouldn't be possible without the diligent work of volunteers, who graciously give their time on the holiday.
Madison Thomas was just one volunteer at the massive service project, explaining that her family has been participating for years.
"My grandpa and my grandma were just looking for a service project to do one Thanksgiving," Thomas said. "They ended up doing this...they've been doing this since before I was born."
Three generations of the Thomas family showed up to package slices of pumpkin pie and give back to the community that means so much to them.
"I remember coming here as a little girl and now I'm 20 years old," Madison reflected. "I will probably bring my kids here one day."
"We know that we are very, very blessed to have the resources to have such a nice Thanksgiving dinner all together and we know there are those who don't have that." "Before we enjoy all our food, we love to be able to give to those who don't have the ability to do that."
Other Utahns strapped on their sneakers to run for a good cause on Thanksgiving morning at the 18th annual Utah Human Race in Sandy.
The Utah Food Bank hosted the race, attracting thousands of runners and walkers who wanted to start their day of eating off with a little exercise.
Turning up in costumes and with kids loaded into strollers, the race has become a tradition for many families in Utah. But although the occasion was festive, there was a serious message behind it.
"Across the state of Utah, there are about 317,000 people [facing food insecurity]," explained Ginette Bott with the Utah Food Bank. "One in ten are children, so we're serious about the job we do. We like to be sure we're able to help them year-round."
The race was to raise awareness, food and money for the Utah Food Bank as they enter another busy holiday season of feeding people in need.
For those who couldn't make it to the race Thursday morning, Bott said there are still plenty of opportunities to help.
"This year, when you're doing holiday preparations and you buy for your family, please buy additional food for another family," she explained. "We need food, time and money. That'll help us."
As Thanksgiving kicks off across Utah, residents are hoping their efforts lift those in need and make the holiday a special occasion for everyone.
