The spirit of Thanksgiving comes not just in the gathering of friends and family, but in the good will each of us exhibits toward those who have not been as fortunate.

Wednesday, November 24, 1999

The spirit of Thanksgiving comes not just in the gathering of friends and family, but in the good will each of us exhibits toward those who have not been as fortunate.

This week, a special group of young people showed us all what Thanksgiving is all about.

Dawson-Bryant High School’s Key Club – a high school service organization affiliated with Kiwanis -put together food baskets for needy families in their community in cooperation with the Coal Grove Betterment Club. The club members provided the turkeys and sponsored a canned food collection in their school. They will tell you they could not have accomplished this good deed without the tremendous support of their classmates, who donated plenty of nonperishable items to fill out the baskets.

And as if that weren’t enough of a Thanksgiving project for one school, the freshman class at Dawson-Bryant High visited a local nursing home to share some good wishes with the residents there as part of their holiday gift.

These are probably just a few of the heart-warming stories you will hear this holiday season, but these are special because they prove once and for all that some of the best and most generous hearts belong to Lawrence County’s teenagers.

Their generosity is a reminder to us all that there are many people who will not have much to celebrate this Thanksgiving and Christmas – and that those of us who have been blessed should remember the needy and less fortunate as we plan our holidays.

It really doesn’t take much to bring a smile to a needy child’s face or to ease some of the fear and worry in their parents’ eyes. A can of food, a little extra money in the Salvation Army kettle or a donation to the Central Christian food pantry can make the difference for a family that isn’t sure where their next meal is coming from.

The Coal Grove community should be proud to have so many young people who understand the true meaning of this week’s holiday – and a school that encourages their efforts.