Bea Gaddy Thanksgiving Dinner Serves Homeless & Elderly For 30th Year
BALTIMORE (WJZ)—A decades long Thanksgiving tradition lives on. This year marks the 30th annual Bea Gaddy Thanksgiving feast.
Monique Griego was there as the feast kicked off in Southeast Baltimore.
The weather couldn't have been more perfect as hundreds of people lined up for Bea Gaddy's 30th annual Thanksgiving dinner. Every since Gaddy--a well-known homeless advocate--died in 2001, her daughters have kept up the tradition of serving hot diners to thousands of homeless in Baltimore.
"It's so amazing. To think that when she started in October of 1981, we didn't have an idea that it would just blossom into something like this. But looking at how she trained us over the years, it's an automatic thing. It's in our blood, and it makes us feel good," said Sandra Chandler, Gaddy's daughter.
"I appreciate what Bea Gaddy has done for me because I was homeless once upon a time also. And I know her daughter and everything, so plus, just to see the other people that I haven't seen in a while, to interact with other people and meet new people," said Gwendolyn Lambert.
But it isn't just about the dinner, it is a celebration with kid's activities and music all aiming to get people in the holiday spirit.
In addition to all the meals served at Patterson Park, the family also sends out thousands of meals to elderly.
Gaddy started the tradition three decades ago, and it survives a decade without her. She succumbed to breast cancer in 2001.
