In the Belgrade High School ProStart culinary class, led by Montana Teacher of the Year Kortney Douma, students are buzzing for America’s favorite food holiday, Thanksgiving.
“Everybody deserves to have a really great, delicious Thanksgiving dinner,” Douma said.
Around the kitchen, students shared their favorite holiday dishes:
“I really like stuffing.”
“Rolls!”
“Green bean casserole, all day!”
And of course, the star of the show:
“Is definitely turkey.”
Watch these amazing Belgrade High students prepare 250 pounds of turkey for their community!
The 15 students in the class know their way around a bird.
“Two hundred fifty pounds consistently being delicious turkey — that's a skill,” Douma said.
You heard that right. They cooked 250 pounds of turkey for the annual Belgrade Community Thanksgiving Dinner.
Douma’s class has handled the turkey for five years now, and 250 pounds of bird is no easy feat.
“We did it conveyor-belt style — like we each do a part so it can go really fast,” a student explained.
The industrial kitchen ran at full speed, with students working at different stations throughout.
“I was seasoning the turkey and setting it for the cooking process,” one said.
And some jobs were a little less appetizing.
“We cut things, and Daphne went and manhandled the turkey because we had to rip it all apart as it was frozen,” a student added.
Ahead of Thanksgiving, a You.Gov poll found that three in 10 Americans say rising prices have affected their celebration this year. But with a hearty amount of turkey from the ProStart students, there’s plenty to go around for the community.
“There were so many turkeys that we made. Just thinking about how many people we’ll bring together —it’s kind of cool!” one student said.
The class hopes their hard work makes a difference, one gobble at a time.
“It is really cool to see that what we are doing has an impact on people, and it kind of gives them something to look forward to and enjoy. And it’s from the community too, so I think it gives that extra connection,” a student said.
The free Thanksgiving dinner runs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Belgrade High School commons, with grab-and-go meals from 1 to 2 p.m. Folks can also pick up hygiene products and nonperishable items.
The event is sponsored in part by the Bolunt Bell Real Estate Group, with Tasha Bell and Nicole Bolunt coordinating donations, sponsors and more.
