Minnesota Vikings serve Thanksgiving meals in St. Paul
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins is on injured reserve with a torn Achilles tendon, but he refused to be sidelined from serving Thanksgiving meals to the Twin Cities community.
Cousins was among dozens of Vikings players, coaches and family members who spent the evening of Nov. 14 at the West 7th Salvation Army in St. Paul serving hot turkey dinners and playing games with local families. (View event photos.)
“It’s fun to put smiles on faces,” said Cousins, who served pumpkin pie while seated in a chair. “Many of these people are great Vikings fans – it’s tremendous to interact with them.”
Most of the families in attendance have children enrolled in The Salvation Army King Family Child Development Center, which provides low-cost childcare and preschool services.
One of the families included a single mother of four kids whose partner was recently incarcerated. Minnesota Vikings offensive lineman Dalton Risner spent time talking with the mother to encourage her.
“You could tell she appreciated this event so much – to have a meal and have her kids go run around and have fun,” said Risner (pictured), who helped serve turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and other traditional favorites for more than a dozen families. “I come from a family that needed help at times, so I know how amazing this event is. You can see the impact.”
The Salvation Army has a long history of partnering with the Minnesota Vikings during the holiday season and year-round.
“We appreciate the Vikings’ support of The Salvation Army’s mission to provide food, shelter and care for people and families throughout Minnesota,” said Lt. Col. Randall Polsley, leader of The Salvation Army Northern Division.
This holiday season, The Salvation Army is calling on all of our supporters to Love Beyond. #LoveBeyond is a national Salvation Army campaign that encourages people to put love above all else, in order to show families in need that love exists beyond their most difficult situations – be it hunger, overdue bills, eviction, addiction, and other hardships. Join us by giving a donation, signing up to volunteer, or ringing bells at a Red Kettle.