Thousands dined at the Honda Center Thanksgiving feast in Anaheim

ANAHEIM, Calif. (KABC) — For nearly 40 years, Frank Garcia and his Anaheim restaurant, La Casa Garcia, have served Thanksgiving meals to families who could use a little help during the holiday season.

The need has grown to the point where thousands of meals are served in the Honda Center parking lot.

The theme for this time is: “We say thank you”. It’s not just a slogan, it’s a way the Garcia family and volunteers give back.

“I love it. My thing is that it’s not about how many people I serve,” Garcia said. “When I serve one, I’ve done my job, but I don’t count numbers. I only give.”

People queued long before the gate opened at 11am. Some in line said they had been there many times and were grateful for the Thanksgiving dinner.

“It’s just beautiful. I come every year and I like it. A lot of people come and have fun,” said Baltazar Alvarez from Anaheim.

Anaheim’s Gustavo Dionisio was also in line.

“I think we should all thank them for giving us this,” he said. “Even though we have the pandemic, I think we should automatically enjoy what we have.”

For nearly 20 years, the Honda Center and the Anaheim Ducks have helped provide catering. After practice on Thursday, some of the Ducks players came out to help serve.

“We’ve been doing this for a long time,” said Ducks player Cam Fowler. “It’s great for us to connect with the community and they know we’re here to help in any way we can. That’s why we’re definitely happy to do it.”

As long as there is a need, says Frank Garcia, they will continue to welcome the holiday season in this way.