GOBBLERS SHARE FEAST.

Byline: Lewis Taylor The Register-Guard

Daniel Pelky said "no, thanks" to salad and "yes, please" to mashed potatoes.

"The food's good, really good," said the polite sixth-grader, sinking his fork into a day-before-Thanksgiving feast that's become an annual tradition at Springfield Middle School.

For the sixth year in a row, the school hosted its turkey lunch on Wednesday, which was preceded earlier in the week by a video on table manners.

Before the meal, Principal Jeff Mather read a Native American blessing calling for peace and gratitude.

"Thank you for the gifts of this day and every day," Mather said.

The feast was open to all 350 students at Springfield Middle School.

In keeping with the good manners theme, some of the sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders dressed up for the occasion. Ryan Nickel-Inman, 13, and his brother, Michael, 11, sported loose-fitting suits and neatly combed hair. Nathaly Morey, 13, wore a string of pearls and a top studded with sequins.

"I thought it would be special to look nice for Thanksgiving and to give respect to the teachers and to show that I really care about the school and being a part of it."

Earlier in the week, Morey and the rest of the student council showed their devotion by peeling 160 pounds of potatoes. The kitchen staff served up 12 turkeys, seven gallons of gravy and 50 apple and pumpkin pies.

There was also stuffing, corn, rolls and green salad to go around.

"There's a lot of kids who don't get a Thanksgiving dinner and if they do, it's not a sit-down experience," said Peggy Squires, the school's administrative secretary and one of 30 volunteers who helped make the event happen. "We wanted to provide them with an actual Thanksgiving."

Springfield Middle School is a Title I school where close to 80 percent of the students qualify for the federal free and reduced-price lunch program, but the funds for Wednesday's turkey feast came from private donors, commercial sponsors and a fall magazine drive.

"We see poverty and we're in it, so we know what we're offering when we help out," said Gracie Persson, 16, a graduate of the school who returns every year to play piano during the meal with fellow alumnus Gaby Morey-Castra, also 16.

"I like tradition and this is a good tradition to have."

Springfield school superintendent Nancy Golden was also on hand to pitch in. She donned a white apron and delivered food to packed tables.

"For some kids this could be the only (Thanksgiving) meal they're going to have," said Golden, who has attended the event for the past three years.

Many of the sixth-grade turkey gobblers who had never attended a Springfield Middle School feast were surprised by the spread in front of them. Shelby Duncan, 11, liked the fact that this holiday sit-down was a little different than the one at home.

"I think it's really cool, I've never done this before," Duncan said. "It's kind of like Thanksgiving, but with all your friends."

CAPTION(S):

Michael Nickel-Inman (center), wearing a suit for the lunch, sits between Forest Aguirre (left) and Malon Braley at Springfield Middle School. Cody Devereaux, 12, spoons up a healthy portion of mashed potatoes during the special day-before-Thanksgiving lunch. Kevin Clark / The Register-Guard INSIDE Free holiday dinner: A list of community Thanksgiving meals / D2 S p r i n g f i e l d M i d d l e S c h o o l