The Boys & Girls Clubs of Newport County held its 3rd Annual Turkey Dinner for Club members and their families on November Fridays 19th. For this event, restauranteurs the Kilroy family opened their restaurant, The Lobster Bar, and welcomed over 190 guests to dine together on the Wharf.
Last year’s COVID-19 restrictions precluded an in-person dinner but did not stop the Kilroy family and manager Frank Silva, from packaging 240 Thanksgiving meals for Club families, which were delivered by Club staff.
This year, the Club’s Americorp volunteers greeted families at the door, and board members and staff served the guests buffet-style. Lobster Bar staff provided the delicious meal, all the beverages, set-up and clean-up – and most importantly, the space for this special occasion.
The following photos were provided by The Boys & Girls Club of Newport County
“We are grateful to “PK” Kilroy and his entire family, and the Lobster Bar crew for opening their doors and hearts again,” stated Executive Director Joe Pratt in a statement. “We recently learned that food insecurity stands at 18% in Rhode Island, and collaborative efforts such as this dinner mean a great deal to those who comprise that statistic.”
In addition to the Kilroy family, the Club is grateful to Viking Tours who donated a trolley to transport members and their families from the Club to the Lobster Bar for the event.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Newport County was founded 65 years ago to “inspire and enable all young people, especially those who need help most, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens.” The Club’s vision is to provide opportunities that assure success is within reach of every young person who comes through our doors, and all members are on track to graduate from high school with a plan for the future, demonstrating good character and citizenship, and living a healthy lifestyle. This school year, the Club’s goal is to ensure that its programs and services continue to support members as they recover from the pandemic’s impact on their education and well-being.