ROBERTSDALE — On Thanksgiving Day, the Robertsdale community is gathering for a communal meal emphasizing fellowship and shared moments.

Robertsdale High School Principal William White brought the idea to Daphne last year after a trip to Georgia.

"We kept seeing these flyers around the community, and so we checked it out and went and fell in love with that, you know, just had a great time," White said.

The RHS principal was previously assistant principal at Daphne High School and brought the idea of a community Thanksgiving to the Daphne area, noting that 2022 was the first year the community event was hosted.

"Last year, we had partnered with a couple of churches in the Daphne area and one being 3Circle," he said. "This year, we've been reaching out to a couple local churches and the city of Robertsdale to put this thing together, and honestly, right now, it is all really starting to come together."

White mentioned that last year, volunteers cooked the food due to insufficient funds. However, this year, state Rep. Donna Givens, R-Loxley, announced full funding for the community event.

"Being able to bring the Central Baldwin community together for food and festivities is absolutely wonderful and creating somewhere to share fellowship and a sense of community together on the Thanksgiving holiday is so needed," Givens said. "As soon as I heard about this event, I told Principal White that whatever he needed, I would find the grant funding to cover it. Everyone deserves to have a loving place to go and have Thanksgiving, and I am thankful that this event will be that place for so many of our people."

The principal added that he is overwhelmed by the response of the community.

"It did not take me long to realize how special the community of Central Baldwin is. I am just really overwhelmed right now at the willingness of people to support the program itself, and it seems like everybody wants to find a way to give back to the community."

The event is a collaboration between the city of Robertsdale, Loxley and Silverhill, along with 3Circle Church, Baptist Church of Robertsdale and Silverhill and Grace Community. It will take place at the Robertsdale Coliseum on Thanksgiving Day from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., featuring activities for children and providing an opportunity for people to connect within the community.