DAYTON — The Feast of Giving made a triumphant return to the Dayton Convention Center this Thanksgiving after a five-year hiatus, drawing thousands of attendees and nearly 400 volunteers.
The event, which had been canceled since 2020 due to the pandemic and subsequent renovations to the convention center, was met with overwhelming support from the community.
“It was clear that there was a gap, and people were happy that we were coming back to fill it,” said Steve Paris, director of the Feast of Giving.
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Kelvin Crishon, one of the attendees, expressed his joy at the event’s return, stating, “This is wonderful. Everybody can enjoy the holiday.”
Paris noted the strong community spirit and generosity, mentioning that they had to turn away volunteers due to the high number of people wanting to help.“
In fact, we had to turn a lot away, and we were still getting requests, calls, and emails as late as Thanksgiving Day,” Paris said, highlighting the community’s eagerness to participate.
While plans for next year’s Feast of Giving are not yet confirmed, Paris indicated that organizers would meet soon to discuss the success of this year’s event before making any decisions.“We’ll see. We’re not making any commitments. But it went really well,” Paris said, acknowledging the community’s support and enthusiasm.
Organizers expect to provide updates early next year regarding the future of the Feast of Giving, as they assess the event’s impact and community feedback.
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