DENVER, Colorado — Every year, the community in Colorado Springs has relied on the annual Thanksgiving meal hosted at Club Q – this year, organizers wanted to make sure the event wasn't taken away from the community in the midst of the shooting tragedy.
Organizers of the Club Q dinner connected with the United Court of the Pikes Peak Empire (UCPPE), the oldest LGBTQ+ organization in southern Colorado, to help them continue the annual tradition but host the event in a different location.
The free Thanksgiving dinner will be held at Pikes Peak Metropolitan Community Church from 4 - 8 p.m. on Thursday – the event is open to the public.
"It's a free community dinner for those who don't have a place to go or people that want to just be around their family," said Steven Grantham, with UCPPE.
"I think we're hoping to convey that this is an environment that accepts and welcomes everyone, especially after the tragedy from this weekend," said Joseph Shelton, president of UCPPE.
Food donations are still being accepted by the dinner organizers, but the dishes must be cooked meal items, preferably from a local restaurant. Items don't have to be traditional items, but they can be out of the box such as Italian.
Monetary donations collected at the dinner will go directly to help the victims' families cover the funeral costs of their loved ones.
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