By HDN staff
All too often we take traditions for granted. An "annual event" is expected to be an "always event."
This year, after 17 "annual events," we almost saw a tradition die before our eyes. The Thanksgiving Day community dinner was endanger of extinction.
After working so hard for so many years, Kelly Stewart announced her retirement and it looked as if the event was canceled. It was a difficult decision for Stewart, who just felt she couldn't handle the work load anymore. And after so many successful years, she deserved to bow out gracefully and turn the gravy ladle over to someone else.
But there was no one standing by her side to accept the challenge. That was, until Linda Rennick stepped forward.
After Havre Daily News reporter Alan Sorensen's story about the demise of the dinner was published, it took little time before his phone was ringing off the hook with offers of people willing to help. With Rennick taking over the helm of the St. Jude kitchen, the prospect looks bright.
The "good neighbor" spirit of Havre shines through again.
A minor concern is that some of the usual volunteers may have already made alternative plans after hearing the initial cancellation reports. We hope that Rennick will be receiving commitments from all those people soon.
And while it's hard to express our gratitude to a masked face, the new anonymous donor must also be thanked for his generosity.
Hopefully, we have learned an important lesson in all of this. In order to keep a tradition alive, it has to be tended and nurtured. Don't take for granted that an annual event is an always event.
