Over 40 cooked turkeys and even more pies were delivered to the Hermosa Beach Kiwanis and Rotary halls Thanksgiving morning. The donated fixings was just enough to serve the more than 400 guests who attended the 34th Annual Mama Liz Thanksgiving Dinner. “Mama” Liz Turner established the dinner after she and her son Randy closed their downtown Hermosa Beach Garden Of Eden restaurant, where they had offered free Thanksgiving dinners each year. The tradition continued during her years as an Easy Reader typesetter. Since her passing, the dinner has been under the leadership of Cheer for Children’s Donna Dawick. Dawick solicits volunteers through Easy Reader and rounds up cooked turkeys from fellow Berkshire Hathaway Realtors. Sandpipers donates the pies. Ocean Diner’s Rick Hankus donates his one day off a year to run the kitchen. Real Estate West Realtor Jonathan Coleman, of the band Abracadabra, organizes the local musicians who perform throughout the day. Dennis “Balloon Man” Forel entertains the kids and Manhattan Bread and Bagel brings the rolls. Sandy and Michael decorate the Kiwanis Hall with brightly colored, helium balloons. Hermosa Kiwanis make their hall available for the diners and the neighboring Hermosa Rotary Club donates the use of its kitchen for preparing the turkeys.
This year’s dinner was dedicated to Ted Nguyen, who volunteered in the kitchen for many years, until his passing last year.
An even greater number of people enjoy a free dinner at the Hermosa Beach pier each Thanksgiving. That dinner was founded 47 years ago by Nikie Tedesco, who turns 91 in December. She is assisted by Dan Hubbard and Breakwater Foursquare Church in Redondo Beach.
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