The Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center (MLK Center) is inviting the Quad Cities community to its 35th annual Thanksgiving event on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 22-24.
All are welcome to enjoy delicious Thanksgiving meals at no cost. The MLK Center’s goal this year is to give away 7,500 free meals. They will be distributed via curbside pickup at two locations on Friday and Saturday with the Sunday meal being dine-in only at the MLK Center.
The meal schedule and locations are:
MLK Center, 630 9th St., Rock Island
- Friday, Nov. 22, noon to 5 p.m. (drive-through only).
- Saturday, Nov. 23, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (drive-through only).
- Sunday, Nov. 24, noon to 4 p.m. (dine-in only).
TMBC at the Lincoln Center, 318 E. 7th St., Davenport
- Saturday, Nov. 23, noon to 4 p.m. (drive-through only)
Meals will be served as both locations while supplies last each day. Meals also will be delivered throughout the Quad Cities to pre-arranged locations.
“It is truly an honor to be able to provide free Thanksgiving meals to our Quad Cities community for the 35th straight year,” MLK Center Executive Director Jerry Jones said in a news release. “This is a community effort – a true labor of love from donors, partners and volunteers.”
Meals include: turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, dressing, green beans, corn, cranberry sauce and pie.
According to the MLK Center, this event is made possible through the hard work and dedication of hundreds of volunteers, many of whom have been coming back for more than a decade.
This year’s Thanksgiving Dinner is generously supported by these sponsors: Ascentra Credit Union, Blackhawk Bank & Trust, Crawford Company, Eaton, Estes Construction, Huiskamp Collins Investments, IHMVCU, John Deere Harvester Works, Nexstar Media, Quad City Bank & Trust, Royal Neighbors, Whitey’s Ice Cream, and Valley Construction. It also received grants from the Regional Development Authority, Moline Regional Community Foundation, Rock Island Township, UnityPoint Health Trinity, and South Rock Island Township; and in-kind donations from HyVee (Rock Island), Hill & Valley and Liberty Packaging as well as contributions from individuals. Key partners include: Dohrn Transfer, Second Baptist Church and Bayside Bistro.
The Martin Luther King Center inspires greatness through its community-building, education and service. Major programs currently include: Substance Use Prevention; Teenage Pregnancy Prevention; Family Advocacy Center; free after-school and summer programs for children; a variety of clubs for people of all ages; free tax preparation assistance; four annual community events and it serves as the backbone support for the West End Revitalization.
