Thanksgiving is almost near, a time to give thanks for what we are grateful for and a time to give back, which is exactly what our ‘Friends of Thanksgiving’ grand prize winner did.

The grand prize winner first won herself a turkey from Gerrie’s Garden Centre and Farm Market, and then had her name drawn again, winning a 10-person catered Thanksgiving dinner from Fraberts Fresh Food.

She decided to give up the catered dinner to someone in need, and says it feels really good to give back.

“It always, always I find, helps you cope with stressful situations, we all are affected by this pandemic, we’re all affected by everyday life and stressors and one of the best ways to take your mind off something you might be going through, is to help somebody with what they’re going through,” she said.

The catered dinner was gifted to a woman named Crystal.

Crystal says she felt very grateful because she’s treating a group of friends to the dinner.

“It kind of lifted a weight off our shoulder cause a lot of them got laid off from work […] [or] something has happened. Most of them in the group actually think we aren’t having dinner, so originally we had planned to do dinner and then because of the pandemic we opted not to meet," Crystal said.

Crystal says it’s going to be a wonderful surprise for the group of friends, who range in age from 17-years-old to 90-years-old.

Lorie Black from The Grand 101 Morning Show with Crystal picking up her Thanksgiving catered dinner from Fraberts in Fergus, Ontario. Photo by: Lorie Black

The Centre Wellington resident who gifted Crystal the meal says there are many volunteers here in the community.

“We have a lot of people that are contributing way more than I have, but I do the little that I can, and they have done that for years, and I appreciate them, and it’s finally good to be at a time when I can be participating on the other side of the fence,” she says.

The grand prize winner works in healthcare and is very thankful this is her weekend off, so she can spend it with her loved ones.

The winner who donated the prize requested anonymity for this story.

'Friends of Thanksgiving' Grand Prize Winner: