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 However, as with many long-standing traditions,
the Coronavirus and its unforeseen complications has led to a
cancellation of the event in order to comply with the State of
Illinois Coronavirus Response Regulations limiting events to 50
people. More than 1,000 patrons are served annually, the Turkey
Dinner is the primary source of fundraising for its scholarship
awards and special projects. The rules prevent the cooking and
serving of all who attend due the incredible community support
received.
To keep the tradition of scholarships and projects alive, the Zonta
Club of Lincoln is turning to 2020’s often used tools - the Internet
and the good faith and support of Logan County citizens. A Go Fund
Me Account has been established at: gf.me/u/y3k735 or you can drop
off your donations at the State Bank of Lincoln- Zonta Club Turkey
Dinner Fundraiser. Our goal is to raise $5,000 for our scholarships
and service projects. We are kindly requesting donation amounts of
your choice or what you would have paid for Turkey Dinner tickets.
We appreciate any support you can give. Please feel free to reach
out to Zontian, Tina Huff, at 217-737-6128.
In 2021, Zonta Club of Lincoln hopes to welcome Everyone back on
Sunday, November 7, 2021 from 11 AM to 1:30 PM at the Lincoln
Community High School, and serve our delicious turkey, dressing,
mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, applesauce, cranberry sauce,
and a selection of homemade desserts to over 1000 diners as we have
done over the past 55 years.
The Zonta Club of Lincoln was founded on May 1, 1957. The club is a
member of Zonta International, a leading global organization of
professionals empowering women worldwide through service and
advocacy. Zonta International has 28,000 members in nearly 1,200
Zonta clubs in 61 countries. In 1965, the eight year old Zonta Club
of Lincoln planned a "Zonta Zupper” for the public to be held on
Sunday, November 7th, at the Knights of Columbus Hall. The club
members served a variety of foods, including turkey. The club
charged $1.50 for adults and $1 for children. Approximately 700
people walked up a narrow, enclosed staircase to the second floor of
the building that is now Abe’s Carmelcorn Shoppe. The profit that
year was $450.
From that humble beginning the Zonta Turkey Dinner became an annual
event held on the first Sunday in November. From the upstairs
location off the Square the dinner continued at the K of C until
1970, when it moved to Carroll Catholic School to accommodate larger
crowds. That year, each club member was responsible for saving five
loaves of dried bread, making two pies and one cake. In 1972,
profits rose to over $1,100.
During the 1970’s and 1980’s, Zonta Club members were innovative in
making the best use of the school. They set up tables and chairs in
the gym. Food prep started on Wednesday before Sunday’s dinner. On
Sunday, the food was kept warm in numerous roasters throughout many
classrooms. When the electrical fuses began blowing, Harold Goodman
solved the problem by setting up generators in the alley. He then
strung extension cords through the gym door and down the hallways to
the classrooms. In 1981, over 1000 dinners were served. In 1982, net
profits reached $3500.
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Many locals have contributed to our club’s successful dinners. In
1991, Comstock Bakery allowed the club to use its facilities for food
preparation. In 1992, the day before the dinner, the walk-in freezer at Carroll
Catholic School stopped working. Warren Wendlandt at Lincoln College came to our
rescue by cooking our turkeys and the dressing in his convection ovens.
The year 1993, was momentous for the club. That year, the Zonta Turkey Dinner
moved to its current location, Lincoln Community High School. The dinner would
not be possible without the assistance of the LCHS cafeteria staff over the last
27 years, currently headed by Lori Lawson. They have guided us to streamline
ordering, preparation, and serving, which lead to keeping down costs and
decreased wear and tear on our members. We have averaged more than 1000 dinners
served each year while utilizing LCHS.
In 1981, under the leadership of then Zonta Club president, Judy Awe, the club
established a Health Career Scholarship. Profits of our turkey dinner and funnel
cake sales at the Railsplitter Festival would be used to fund the yearly
scholarships. The first year’s scholarship recipient was Dr. Don Sielaff. The
scholarship program was initiated to assist local students in achieving their
goals in health careers. However, over the last 35 years, the focus expanded to
any post-secondary course of study, including adults returning to school. As of
2019, the Zonta Club of Lincoln has awarded nearly 100 individual scholarships.
A list of previous scholarship recipients is displayed on the dining tables at
the dinner.
The Zonta Club of Lincoln has contributed to many local organizations over the
last 63 years we have been active in Lincoln. In fact, we are looking at the
feasibility of creating a 501(c)(3) Foundation for the future, however, your
contributions are not tax deductible. In recent years, we have donated to the
Central Illinois Blood Bank, Girls on the Run, Habitat for Humanity, Head Start,
Lincoln/Logan County Food Pantry, and the Pregnancy Resource Center. With the
assistance of Charlie Lee at Lincoln IGA, our club has placed a special emphasis
on donating to the Logan County Court Advocacy program for local domestic
violence victims.
This year, with your help, we hope the 2020 VIRTUAL ZONTA CLUB OF LINCOLN TURKEY
DINNER will give us the opportunity to continue to empower women and girls
through service projects and scholarships. Help us if you can, every little bit
does make a difference! Thank you Logan County and friends of Zonta Club of
Lincoln members, we could not do any of this without your longtime support.
[Marcia Cook]
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