Surrounded by family and friends, Jackson and Dain are enjoying Thanksgiving lunch together. Yum!

Luke and his family pause from filling their bellies to smile for the camera! We are so thankful to have families visiting Cherokee Creek Boys School on Thankgiving day.

At Midnight last night the boys awoke to build a fire for our traditional pre-Thanksgiving turkey pit. This fire kept them warm until the early hours of the morning. They then made a pit out of the coals of the fire with Operations Director Phil Fairbrother where they stuffed the turkeys underground. This has been a yearly tradition for CCBS the night before Thanksgiving.

Watching the turkeys cook late into the night...

These are the students who braved the late night to cook our tasty turkey’s: (from left to right) Michael, Barron, Jimmy, Cole, Sam, and Dain.

Teacher Nick Linscott, together with the boys who stayed up all night, pulled out the turkeys the next morning after our traditional late night cookout. They then wheelbarrowed their way up to the kitchen where several students whipped on the aprons and started prepping the turkeys.

Its that time of year again! Every year at Thanksgiving Cherokee Creek Boys School pit-roasts our turkeys for our Thanksgiving feast. It is an honor to be selected for Team Turkey. This year’s crew (pictured above) includes (from left): Sam, Cole, Teacher Nick Linscott, Jimmy, Operations Director Phil Fairbrother, Dain, Michael, and Barron. The team’s responsibilities include staying up until the wee hours tending the roasting coals.

William, Sandy, and Barbara look on as Phil prepares the Turkeys

But first, the turkeys are seasoned and wrapped in foil (several times).

Phil, Cole, Dain, and Barron scope out the pit

Then the boys clear the area of leaves and debris before digging a HUGE pit.

Next, the boys and staff will create a bonfire in the pit, which will be nursed through the night until there is a well established bed of coals. Then the turkeys will be placed on the coals and burried.

Stay tuned for more updates tomorrow…