ESCANABA -- The annual Thanksgiving dinner at the Escanaba High School feeds hundreds of residents each year.  Dozens of volunteers donate their time to help and it's turned into a family tradition for one local family.

David Kobasic and his granddaughter Ashley are frequent volunteers for this annual feast in Escanaba.  It's been a family tradition for many years, and David's even brought in a few non-family volunteers to help out.

"My mother got me into it," explained Kobasic.  "I owned a grocery store for quite a few years, it's just one of those things and I got my granddaughter in it and a few friends as well.  You just help people if you can."

And David's granddaughter also enjoys lending a helping hand.

"I do the potatoes and I peel them and stuff and sometimes I do the turkey," said Ashley.  "It just gives me something to do.  I just like coming here."

This is the 30th year for the turkey dinner.  From the over 650 pounds of turkey, to the hundreds of potatoes, to the vegetables, all the food was donated by local businesses.  

Whether old or young, the meal is made possible by the dozens of volunteers who help out each year.  Among the newest helpers?  A local Girl Scout troop who are adding extra hands at this year's dinner.

"I like to help people and I like to make people happy," explained Troop 5242 member, Robin Schafer.

The volunteers are preparing over 700 meals and plan to serve dinner right at noon on Thursday.