BOONE COUNTY — Various locations throughout Mid-Missouri, including in Ashland and Columbia, served free Thanksgiving dinners to the community. 

And according to Charles Stephenson, Powerhouse Community Development Corporation’s CEO and founder, these events are not just for people in need. 

“You’ve got people that are homeless, but you also got people that are maybe wealthy but lost loved ones and just don’t want to be alone for today, you’ve got people who may not just want to cook,” Stephenson said. “So it doesn’t matter, everybody got different reason for coming but they’re here.”

“I live by myself so I thought this would be good to get a meal and I did see some people I knew” said Don Jourdan, a Columbia resident. “So being around gathering rather than eating by yourself.”

Bringing the holiday spirit of sharing and spending time together. 

“Even though we’re all from different families, we’re really in a family environment today” Stephenson said. “It’s just amazing to see people from all different walks of life sitting together and not judging one another, but just celebrating.”

It is also an opportunity to meet new people and have new encounters.

“People that know each other get together, and people that don’t know each other get to know each other” Jourdan said. 

Powerhouse hosted its event at the Progressive Missionary Baptist Church in Columbia. This was the city’s 27th annual sit-in community Thanksgiving dinner. 

The organization had distributed between 850 and 900 meals to essential workers and elderly the morning of Thanksgiving, and they expected hundreds of people to attend the dinner. 

In Ashland, the free Thanksgiving dinner served as a fundraiser for the veterans organization “Welcome Home,” and was hosted at Southern Boone Middle School. Donations were accepted and all proceeds are give to Welcome Home.

Brenda Ravenscraft is the former owner of Skyline Cafe and has been organizing the event for 13 years. She said veterans need to be thanked for their service.

“Being the day of thanks, who do we need to thank more? A veteran,” Ravenscraft said. “That’s why I picked the veterans, on Thanksgiving.”

But it is also a personal matter for her. 

“Veterans are very near and dear to my heart” Ravenscraft said. “There’s many veterans in my family, many veterans — my husband was a veteran, all my brothers in-law were veterans, I have cousins that are veterans, I have nephews that are veterans, many of my friends are veterans… you get my age, there’s a lot of veterans in your family.”

Larry Thilmony, an Ashland resident and Vietnam veteran, attended the dinner and came with guests. 

“I brought my pastor, he wanted to come and eat, so I brought him to have dinner. He’s 98 years old so he can’t drive too good,” Thilmony said with a laugh. 

For this free Thanksgiving dinner and fundraiser, community support was needed. 

“We have a high school student that made all the pumping pies” Ravenscraft said. “It’s not just me doing it, believe me, this community is a very giving community.”

And according to Ravenscraft, “it’s a giving community, very giving community.” 

Ashland’s free Thanksgiving dinner usually attracts a couple hundred people and raises between $3,000 and $5,000 for Welcome Home, depending on the year.

Both Columbia’s and Ashland’s dinners were homemade by volunteers and organizations, and included traditional Thanksgiving sides such as turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, green beans, corn, stuffing, mac and cheese, cornbread, and pumpkin pie.

A “beloved and talented hockey player” died days after being hit by a stray bullet on Interstate 55 in Missouri.

Colin Brown, a teenage hockey player, was struck by a stray bullet on Interstate 55 in St. Louis as he was on his way home from a game with his family around 10:30 p.m. last Saturday, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department said in a news release.

After he was shot, his father immediately alerted authorities and continued to drive till they were met by police and EMS, who transported the 16-year-old to a hospital “in critical condition.”

Brown remained in critical condition at the hospital for a few days before he died Wednesday morning, police said.

“It is with a heavy heart – I share with you that 16-year-old Colin Brown has died after being shot by a stray bullet Saturday night on I-55,” St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department spokesperson Mitch McCoy said in a statement. “Colin’s family has asked that I relay their deep appreciation to law enforcement, the hockey community and those who loved Colin.”

“They are asking for privacy at this time,” he added.

Player donated organs

McCoy, in his statement, also shared that Brown donated his organs to “other patients in desperate need.”

“Colin passed away but not before giving the ultimate gift of life,” McCoy said. “Earlier today, Colin’s organs were donated to other patients in desperate need.”

Friends, family and staff members lined the hallways of the hospital as Brown, who aspired to be a doctor, was taken to become an organ donor, FOX2Now reported. Brown’s father told the media outlet his son’s donation saved four lives.

Christian Brothers College, a high school in St. Louis, where Brown was a student mourned his sudden demise and described him as “a talented and dedicated student who was enrolled in Honors courses, and he was a valuable member of our CBC Varsity Hockey team.”

“As our community grieves together, our prayers, support, and love are with his family and close friends during this most challenging time,” the school said in a post on Facebook.

The Dawg Nation Foundation, a registered non-profit organization “whose mission is to support members of our hockey community” in times of crisis has also set up a donation fund for Brown to help his family.

The foundation told USA TODAY Thursday that $100K in support of the Brown family has been raised so far.

No tip too small

McCoy said homicide detectives “have been working around the clock to ensure justice is served in Colin’s name,” adding the department has received several tips, including a new video since Monday, all of which are under review and investigation.

The department has also requested anyone with information on the incident to contact the Homicide Division directly at 314-444-5371. Those wishing to remain anonymous or are interested in a possible reward can call Crime Stoppers at 866-371-8477. Residents living in the area of I-55 and Loughborough have been specially requested to review their home security cameras, which may have captured the shooting.

“No tip or piece of information is too small. Every little bit helps us bring the person or persons responsible to justice,” police said in the news release.

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.

A scary moment occurred during the Missouri-Lindenwood men’s college basketball game on Wednesday night, as a Tigers player needed to be stretchered off the court. 

Caleb Grill, the Tigers’ star guard, suffered a head and neck injury after fighting for a rebound during the team’s 81-61 win over Lindenwood. 

Grill was hit awkwardly in the head while going for that rebound, which snapped his neck back while he was in the air. He landed hard on the court and held the back of his head.

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Grill was transported to a local hospital after being stretchered off the court. He threw a thumbs up to the crowd, which cheered him on as he was taken off the court. 

The Columbia Daily Tribune had a team spokesperson tell them that Grill was responsive, but he was taken to the hospital out of caution. The specifics regarding his injury were not disclosed. 

NO. 1 KANSAS HOLDS OFF NO. 11 DUKE 75-72 IN TENSE VEGAS SHOWDOWN

After the game, Mizzou head coach Dennis Gates gave an update on Grill. 

“We’re awaiting results of a CT scan,” Gates said, according to the Daily Tribune. “Whenever you have a head or neck injury, you want to be [cautious] and have some caution with that. And that’s what that was all about, making sure that he was OK. He was responsive, talking the entire time when I was down there in the huddle with him. He even rolled out with his thumb up. So, that was a good sign to see in that respect.”

Missouri Tigers guard Caleb Grill (31) shoots during the second half against the Loyola (Md) Greyhounds at Mizzou Arena.  (Jay Biggerstaff-USA Today Sports)

Grill was the Tigers’ leading scorer heading into this game, averaging 15.5 points while shooting more than 55% from three-point territory. 

His stats took a dip, though, after scoring just two points and one steal over seven minutes before missing the remainder of the game. 

The Tigers moved to 6-1 on the season, but they are hoping a key member of their starting five will be back on the court soon. 

Missouri Tigers guard Caleb Grill (31) is stretchered off the court after an injury during the first half against the Lindenwood Lions at Mizzou Arena. (Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images)

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Mizzou’s next game comes on Tuesday against Cal. 

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