In some ways, Thursday will dawn no differently than most other workdays for Howard School football coach John Starr. He’ll rise a few minutes before 6 a.m., then swiftly begin cooking breakfast items for a significant number of Hustlin’ Tigers who need a little something extra in their bellies to get the most out of their academics.
“That’s my personal time,” Starr said Tuesday morning. “People don’t realize how peaceful and full of joy you can feel at 6 a.m.”
But unlike most days, what will take place in the lobby of Howard’s Henry Wesley Bowles Gymnasium between 1 and 3 Wednesday afternoon will be anything but peaceful, yet overwhelmingly joyous.
That’s when Starr, with a lot of help from friends and Howard students, will host the third annual Tigers Giving Celebration, which delivers the best Thanksgiving dinner you can imagine for free to all who walk through the gym’s doors.
“We haven’t turned anybody away yet,” said Starr, who expects as many as 350 to 400 of the school’s nearby residents to drop in for everything from turkey and dressing, to mac and cheese, to collard greens, to green beans, to rolls and every dessert you can think of.