There is no better way to get into the holiday spirit than helping seniors enjoy a Thanksgiving lunch.

“The students have a chance here to contribute to the community on a regular basis and practice leadership skills for service projects,” Interact Club sponsor Daniel Cramer said.

On Nov. 24, Interact Club members spent their Thanksgiving morning serving their community. The volunteers included juniors Alice Curran, Ani Kocharyan, Jade Ajileye, Lisset Bayardo and Michelle and Eva Kaganovsky.

The Thanksgiving Senior Luncheon is a yearly event at the Sagebrush Cantina, and this year marks the 28th year that the Calabasas Rotary Club hosts the event. The Rotary club is an organization in Calabasas dedicated to community service in the city since 1988. The club is part of Rotary International, which for more than 100 years has helped create positive change in the world.

Volunteers arrived to the event early to help set up, after which nearly 700 seniors arrived on buses. The seniors were escorted to their seats and served their Thanksgiving lunch by over 125 volunteers, all eager to share the holiday spirit.

“You get to meet a lot of the seniors there and get to know them and have meaningful conversations with them,” Ajileye said.

The meals included salad and the traditional turkey with cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie for dessert. There was also live pop music and dancing for entertainment.

“I got to be a helpful citizen to my community,” Ajileye said. “I feel like I did my part.”