Dinner is served

Deirdre Newman

Rosa Madrigal will be spending Thanksgiving with seven of her family

members, including nephew Victor Alfonso, 14, who will be

experiencing his first Thanksgiving dinner.

On Tuesday, Madrigal’s Thanksgiving preparations were eased by the

CM900 Club, a division of the Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce.

The club contributed turkeys and Thanksgiving fixings and boxed

them for families in need who are served by Shalimar Learning Center.

“I’m so happy,” Madrigal beamed as she received her meal.

This is the fourth year that the group, named for the Roman

numeral that the letters “CM” stand for, has pitched in to help

families in need.

“We do so many things long-term trying to improve the community,”

said Dave Brooks, a club member and Newport Mesa Unified School Board

trustee. “This is an immediate need that we can help with right

away.”

Thirty members of the club gathered on Shalimar Drive with fixings

such as milk, potatoes, apples, pumpkin pies, tortillas and turkeys,

of course. In an efficient, assembly-line fashion, they boxed up the

goods. They also threw in some toothbrushes and toothpaste for good

measure.

The club members contributed items on their own, like Bill

Pierpoint who brought 150 pumpkin pies, and got contributions from

businesses like South Coast Plaza, Penjoyan Produce and the Orange

County Marketplace.

“It’s a great way to get into the holiday spirit, for sure,” said

Jeff Teller, Marketplace president.

Shalimar serves about 300 families with an after-school program on

the Westside, but could only provide meals for 125 of them. Rock

Harbor Church will take care of the rest for Thanksgiving, said

Lindsy Pike, the center’s director.

Pike said she was grateful for the CM900 club’s generosity.

“It’s a great opportunity to bring the community together and get

some new faces on the street,” Pike said. “Families are able to enjoy

meals that might not otherwise.”

* DEIRDRE NEWMAN covers Costa Mesa and may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at [email protected].