- December 13, 2025
A record 75 Thanksgiving dinners were distributed to Flagler Schools support staff, students and community members at the fourth annual Gobble Event on Friday, Nov. 21, at the Flagler County Government Services Building.
The event was created in 2021 by school district bus driver Lakisha Ayers-White as a Flagler Educational Support Professionals Association endeavor. The event was not held last year because Ayers-White was on union leave.
This year, Ayers-White expanded the eligibility beyond FESPA members to include families in need.
"We opened it up to students and even community members, because people are going through hard times right now," Ayers-White said.
The meals included a turkey, drink, stuffing, mashed potatoes, corned bread, fresh vegetables, plastic plates and utensils and homemade cookies. Three televisions were donated with the coupons put in three meal bags at random.
Epic Church, the Flagler County Educators Association, the Flagler County Education Foundation and No Borders for Hope helped sponsor the event. Small businesses, Flagler Schools employees and parents and community members also provided donations, Ayers-Whie said. Five Star Pizza provided pizza for the volunteers. Sweet Melissa's Homemade Ice Cream provided sweet treats at the site for recipients and volunteers.
Volunteers who helped fill and distribute the meal bags included FTC cosmetology teacher Adrienne Harvey and students, members of the Flagler Palm Coast Starlets and Flagler Schools staff members Mitzi Martinez, Nicole Chavannes-Parris, Joe Schneider and Doug Gesek.
