At this Thanksgiving feast, holiday tradition is delivered to the driver's side

Kirsten Crow, Corpus Christi Caller Times
·1 min read

A no-cost Thanksgiving feast honoring the memory of a local philanthropist returns Thursday for its 80th year.

And taking part won’t even mean leaving the car.

The Joe Salem Thanksgiving Dinner – held in the memory of Joe Salem, an army veteran, jeweler and longtime provider of the holiday meals to the community – is generally known for its traditional culinary offerings.

But the claim to fame are the turkey legs, grilled by volunteers who often stay up overnight preparing the popular entrée.

In this Caller-Times file photo, Gabriel Leal sprays smoked turkey legs with apple juice. The turkey legs were served with free Thanksgiving Day meals during the 79th annual Joe Salem event at the Sokol Corpus Christi Gym on Thanksgiving Day 2022. (Credit: Angela Piazza/Caller-Times)
In this Caller-Times file photo, Gabriel Leal sprays smoked turkey legs with apple juice. The turkey legs were served with free Thanksgiving Day meals during the 79th annual Joe Salem event at the Sokol Corpus Christi Gym on Thanksgiving Day 2022. (Credit: Angela Piazza/Caller-Times)

In all, the turkey legs will be the centerpiece of about 500 plates to be served.

Volunteers will deliver the plates at a drive-up distribution site outside Sokol Corpus Christi Gym, 5502 Kostoryz Dr.

Vehicles may begin lining up at the gym’s parking lot starting at 11 a.m., with distribution beginning at about noon and continuing until all dishes are served.

More: #TBT: Joe Salem of Corpus Christi was jeweler, politician and provider of turkey dinners

This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: No cost Thanksgiving feast served in Corpus Christi open to everyone