Annual Family Place lunch returns, pandemic style, in support of the Salvation Army Food Bank

For decades, an annual Christmas luncheon has been raising thousands of dollars for the Salvation Army. The pandemic won’t stop the holiday tradition, although it will look a bit different this year.

On Wednesday, December 2 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., three take-out meal options will be available at Family Place Restaurant (1 King William Street) for $25 per person. Proceeds will in turn be donated to the Salvation Army. There is limited seating for tables of four as well, but reservations are required (705-789-5602).

Available options this year are: roast turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, and turkey gravy; or roast beef with gravy, mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables; or pizza and a salad.

The lunch tradition was started by a group of businessmen more than 50 years ago who routinely met for lunch at the then-Peter’s Restaurant on Main Street in Huntsville. Over the holiday season they would host a lunch for other Huntsville businessmen and ask for donations in support of the Salvation Army Toy Drive.

Various area restaurants have hosted the event over the years as it grew and evolved, including The Sportsman, The Station House, Jesters, and The Cottage. Many years ago, Dino and Bessie Georgas of Family Place Restaurant took on the task, one that Jenny Spring and Oliver Wolfe have generously carried on since they purchased the restaurant in 2017.

The Huntsville Lake of Bays Fire Department’s annual Project Porchlight Food Drive for the Salvation Army also happens on Wednesday, Dec. 2. This year, they are asking residents to leave their donations on their porch or at the end of their driveway at 6 p.m. for volunteers to pick up.