Once Again, Thanksgiving Dinner at The Diner Benefits Charity

For 75 years, it’s been a State College tradition.

Once again, dinner will be served at The Diner on College Avenue on Thanksgiving Day. Cost? A mere 50 cents.

The event is open to the public, and money raised will be donated to local charitable organizations.

A hearty turkey dinner will be served from noon to 7 p.m. at The Diner, located at 126 W. College Ave. in State College.

Thanksgiving dinner at The Diner — then known as Ye Olde College Diner — began in 1938. When State College’s Dan Rallis bought the restaurant, he transformed the annual dinner into a fundraising event. This year, The Diner and The Bestwick Foundation are collaborating on the fundraiser.

“The dinner is just a great community event,” says Steve Greer of the Bestwick Foundation. “It’s been going on for quite some time. It’s just a way to provide families in need with a good Thanksgiving dinner. It’s a good meal and it raises money for organizations around the area.”

Rallis, Greer and Jamie Bestwick are the founders of the Bestwick Foundation. The Bestwick Foundation has been hosting this fundraiser for the last few years.

Proceeds from Thanksgiving dinner at The Diner will benefit Tides and The Jaime Effect, a local charity named after Jaime Van Orden. Van Orden passed away last week after a long battle with cancer. The Tides program helps grieving children, teens and the people who love them.

“We heard about Jaime’s situation. She was a very unselfish woman,” Greer said. “She sold T-shirts, raised money and gave gift cards to people in need. There she was, fighting (cancer) and she’s doing that on the side. We wanted to make Jaime part of it.”

The dinner lasts seven hours, but there’s a lot more to it than just those seven hours. There’s prep work, cooking, serving and clean up, of course.

“We have set up a roster of two-hour shifts between 12 and 7,” Greer explains. “We’ll have a team leader or a floor leader and we supplement that with four or five people who can help serve. It does become sort of machine-like. We have a lot of volunteers who donate time and effort.”

According to Greer, there are no shortage of volunteers.

“People really look forward to contributing. We start talking about it in August,” Greer says. “Dan, Jamie and myself, we really encourage the community spirit. We get a lot of help from everyone — from softball leagues to local businesses. The community really comes out.”

Typically, the event raises between $5,000 and $6,000.

Greer said the goal is much higher this year. “We’re hoping to double or even triple that,” he said. “It’s a good goal for us and we’re off to a very, very good start.”

IF YOU GO

What: Thanksgiving Dinner

Where: The Diner, 126 W. College Ave., State College

When: Thursday, Nov. 28

Cost: Complete Thanksgiving dinner is just 50 cents

Why: To benefit Tides and The Jaime Effect

Click HERE for more information about the Bestwick Foundation.

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