Turkey Day a Treat for Students and Faculty Alike
By Citizen Kane
It started around 8 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day, when students (some with a parent in toe), faculty members and a few alumni met in the cafeteria at Xaverian High School where a twelve-year tradition began to unfold.
Freshman students and Alumni Director Rob Oliva greeted people at the entrance on 71st Street with a “hello” and a “Happy Thanksgiving.” Oliva, who will be the new Special Event Co-Ordinator at St. Francis College, said of his last official act as Xaverian Alumni Director, “Serving the community on Thanksgiving has been a special part of my life for the past twelve years.”
Oliva, along with over 150 Xaverian students (including members of Genesis, their gifted grammar school division), 15 alumni, 30 parents and 12 faculty members — not to mention the staff of the kitchen including Chef Michael Ayoub, class of ’74, and his day-to-day coordinator, Diane Gaffney — were there to serve over 400 turkey dinners to those in need.
Each year, the school sends tickets out to local Senior Centers, Nursing Homes, Parishes and Religious Groups, Community Outreach Centers and the Salvation Army. “This year we sent approximately 450 tickets out,” said Oliva. “The busing of seniors is donated by Deville Bus Company, owned by Alumni Parent Sal Ciliento, who actually takes the time to drive one of the buses himself. The turkeys are donated by Senator Marty Golden and his brother Patrick Golden of the Bay Ridge Manor. The pies are donated by the students in our Genesis program at Xaverian Middle School.”
Xaverian President Robert Alesi said, “This is all about the kids.”
Aidan Folan, a junior, was working his second Thanksgiving Day event, said “This is such an incredible gathering. Helping those in need can really take the burden of life off your mind for a while.” said the St. Anselm’s graduate, “When a person that I just served smiles back at me all the troubles in my life don't mean a thing. It’s such a sobering idea and one that makes me realize how lucky I am to have all the gifts and luxuries in my daily life. Things that I will forever be thankful for."
Aidan had his own Thanksgiving dinner with his family after he was done serving at Xaverian. “I’ll be heading over to my aunt’s house in Bensonhurst after we clean up here.”
Oliva said at the end of the event, “I am very thankful that Xaverian feeds over 400 needy people on Thanksgiving each year and even more thankful that over 200 volunteers came down this year to serve the community.” Asked how his own Thanksgiving was, after the clean-up, he said, “It was a perfect day, up until 8:30 when the Giants’ game began.”
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