Thanksgiving comes early for seniors

The season of thanksgiving got an early start Saturday afternoon.

About 200 gathered at the Daniel Technology Center at Germanna Community College in Culpeper for the Senior Citizen’s Luncheon.

The annual event is meant to encourage unity and fellowship while honoring the area’s seniors, said Charlene Phillips, who helped organize the event.

The gathering began eight years ago as an internal church ministry of White Oak Run Baptist Church, with about 30 people attending the first year. Since, the gathering has expanded outside church walls to include residents from Orange, Madison, Rappahannock and Fauquier counties.

A meal that included ham, macaroni and cheese and dessert was preceded by words of encouragement from community leaders and music.

Expressing a trend that people have recently come to appreciate the contributions and wisdom, Supervisor Steve Nixon shared how older people in the community helped him when he first came to the Culpeper area in the early 1980s.

“I think now people are starting to realize we have a lot of people here that can help us in a lot of ways,” he said. Sheriff Jim Branch agreed, noting that older people helped him discover that life doesn’t necessarily get easier when you grow up.

The crowd also heard from Town Manager Jeff Muzzy, Germanna Technical Center Director Russell James and Culpeper Baptist Church pastor Ted Fuson. Soloists Laura Nelson and Jeanette Smith, along with the White Oak Run Church Praise Team rounded out the program.

Before digging in to the food, Virginia Del. Edd Houck shared his thoughts on being thankful and expressed appreciation for living in America.

Citing the pledge of allegiance, Houck said that everyone should remember that there’s no cutoff date on receiving the liberty and justice promised in the familiar oath. He said everyone — not just legislators and officials — should work to make liberty and justice for all a reality.

“We know that as the years go on, for some, that fairness begins to dwindle,” said Houck.

Nate Delesline III can be reached at 825-0771 ext. 110 or .