Kneeling, from left: Mat Grau ’68, William Stoudt ’07, Stephen Combes ’04, John Laughlin ’80, Mat Grau III ’92, and Kurt Werling; Standing, from left: Ryan Plummer ’96, Tommy Barbier ’84, Hank Adams ’86, John Ecuyer ’83, John Combes ’73, Hank Ecuyer ’51, Bob Stevens ’74, Wayne del Corral ’77, Rob Stevens ’04, Joe Angelico ’63, and Kurt Werling ’91. (Not pictured: Mike Varisco ’83, Sean Stratton ’83, and Brian North ’83)

Jesuit’s annual Thanksgiving Drive is a tradition that Blue Jays continue to support long after they graduate from Carrollton and Banks. Alumni from the 1940s to the 2000s return to Jesuit each year to participate in the community service event. The tradition dates back nearly 100 years, and continues to bring back more alumni each year. At least as early as 1927, a Thanksgiving Drive was being organized by the student Sodality, who placed boxes in each classroom for the collection of food items for the city’s poor.

On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, alumni gather enough perishable and non-perishable items to provide a complete Thanksgiving dinner for basket recipients. The Class of 1983 also provides enough turkeys for not only the alumni baskets, but also for more than 200 student baskets. The alumni portion of the Thanksgiving Drive costs between $8,000 and $9,000, and a group of alumni from the 1970s and 1980s have coordinated class-level appeals dedicated to covering the expense. Alumni may donate to the drive to help cover the costs of providing these meals.

The effort started earlier this month when David Martin ’83 spoke to students at Morning Assembly, encouraging Blue Jays to do their best to provide a Thanksgiving meal for needy families in our area, and continued today as members of the Alumni Association gathered food items to pack boxes for 180 needy families in the metro area. Several individual alumni classes, such as the Class of 2007, have also adopted families and will work on organizing those boxes for tomorrow’s delivery.

The Alumni Association will meet Wednesday morning to finish adding perishable items to the baskets. Many alumni will join with students and faculty in the Chapel of the North American Martyrs at the Prayer Service. The drive culminates with the basket delivery as alumni, students, faculty, and perhaps a parent or two, make their way to the neighborhoods of the city to brighten the lives of a few hundred families.

Thanksgiving Day Mass

The entire community of Jesuit High School is invited celebrate Mass on Thanksgiving Day at 10 a.m. in the Chapel of the North American Martyrs.