When Howard football coach John Starr decided last November that his high school should host a Thanksgiving dinner with all the fixings for the many homeless and impoverished folks who live and seek shelter near the campus, he had a good idea that it would be a big hit with those who were served.
What worried him was how Howard's students - many of whom would be serving the food - would handle the event.
"One of the biggest things we want around here is for our students to be well-rounded," Starr said. "You get such a blessing from giving. I wanted them to experience that."
He needn't have worried.
Said Hustlin' Tigers senior lineman Jamal Bragg, who assisted with last year's dinner: "It felt great to help others. We see the homeless all the time. Sometimes they even come to our football games. Thanksgiving shouldn't just be about family. There are a lot of people in our community who need our help."
Added senior cheerleader Kendasha Sutton: "It helped me feel better about myself. I'll do it again this year. I like it so much, I hope I can come back and work it after I graduate."
For those in need of a really good Thanksgiving dinner served by those with caring hands and warm hearts, this year's second annual "Tigers Giving Celebration" arrives at 1 p.m. today in the lobby of Howard's Henry Wesley Bowles Gymnasium.
Just like last year, when more than 150 hungry people were served, there will be long tables filled with everything from turkeys smoked by Starr to dressing, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls, every pie and cake you can imagine and two of the most delectable creations you've ever tasted: Opal Starr's (the coach's mother) sweet potato souffle and Greta Starr's (the coach's sister) carrot souffle.
"We'll serve until 3 (p.m.) or whenever the food runs out," Coach Starr said. "We don't want anyone to leave hungry."
Food and friendship won't be the only items on the menu. Thanks to the Real AJ Foundation, close to 100 blankets and throws will be given out to those who need them.
If you haven't heard about the Real AJ Foundation - named for Starr's nephew AJ Starr - you should. A victim of cerebral palsy at birth when the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck, AJ Starr went on to earn bachelor's and master's degrees from Alabama.
While there he became friends with Crimson Tide quarterback AJ McCarron, hence the name, since McCarron once told Starr, "You're the real AJ." The foundation's goal is to help others with cerebral palsy navigate life. You can learn more about it at therealajfoundation.org.
But as much as that foundation will bring a little extra warmth this holiday season to the victims of homelessness who live near Howard School, Starr, his students and others on the Howard faculty will bring an immediate gift of compassion and comfort food.
They might even offer a critique of which is better - the sweet potato souffle or the carrot souffle - assuming such a decision is possible.
"All I can say is that I have a really hard time determining whether or not they're a vegetable or a dessert," Starr said with a smile.
Asked if her plan to return for future Tigers Giving Celebrations was more to serve the needy or to grab a serving or two of the souffles, Sutton emphatically answered, "Both!"
Not that Starr has chosen Thanksgiving only as a time to help people through food. He begins almost every school day throughout football season bringing hot breakfasts that include a variety from pancakes to breakfast casseroles for 50 or more students, and not all of them football players.
"Part of it is nutrition. They need a good breakfast to start their days," Starr said. "But part of it is communication. When I was growing up, my family ate breakfast and dinner together almost every day. We heard about each other's days. We talked about family things and other things. It's so rewarding to sit there some mornings and see these kids take off their headphones and actually talk to each other."
Talk has spread among the Howard students about volunteering for today's feast. Eric Johnson, a junior running back, didn't participate last year, but he'll be there today because "I want to help feed the community."
Said Sutton of last year: "It's amazing. People are crying, hugging you, thanking you. And a lot of them are asking for seconds."
Starr sat silent for a moment, then said of one of the better Thanksgiving events in our city, "To watch our kids last year and see how they responded to so many of these adults in need was one of the best feelings I've ever had. It's like I've always been taught, 'When you do something nice for somebody else, you always feel so much better.'"
Contact Mark Wiedmer at mwiedmer@timesfreepress.com.