Merritt community Christmas dinner coming up soon

MERRITT – A Community Christmas dinner is coming to Merritt for those in need this holiday season.

“I got started when I was 12 years old with my dad and they still do it,” said Charlton Martin, organizer of the dinner. “Dads been gone for 38 years and they still do it every year at Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter. Last year I got a phone call form the police station saying we have fed 4,826 in four days like wow. It got started with me that way, but here this is a town that has hearts that are just enormous and we have all suffered and its time for all of us to do it.”

The dinner will be taking place at the Civic Centre, something that Martin said was a no brainer for those in charge.

“I went to the mayor a couple times, I went to Neil [Menard] and then I went to Mike [Goetz] and they said ‘the Civic Centre kitchen is yours’. Then we started talking to all these people and different businesses around town and it’s like a flood, it just comes right at you. It’s really important because the flood and COVID and everything the town has just been beat on and I just said enough, one more time.”

Partnering up for this dinner is Boston Pizza, Walmart, Carnivore Cooking, and Mason Dusome from Mr. Mikes, who said when Charlton approached him, it was an easy decision to say yes to helping.

“I got extremely lucky to have Charlton working with us and he said ‘hey this is something we used to do, I think it would be great to do it again’ and being new to town and wanting to get out into the community and get some recognition and just do something nice for the community,” said Mason Dusome, General Manager of Mr. Mikes. “Like Charlton said, the city has been through lots in the last year so I said ‘yeah absolutely’.”

During the supper, Dusome said Mr. Mikes will be taking care of the meal part, including all the turkeys, mashed potatoes, the veggies, and making sure the staff is there to help.

Both echoed each other in the call to t the public for more donations.

“We would appreciate some donations like desserts (cookies, pies, etc.), dinner buns and other kind of snacks.”

For money donations, residents can contact either person:

• Charlton Martin
  • 250-315-1659
• Mason Dusome
  • 403-394-8493
• Mr. Mikes Steakhouse
  • 250-315-2364

The dinner is free to the public and is taking place on December 14 between 6:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. at the Merritt Civic Centre.