Pens dish out Thanksgiving feast at Rainbow Kitchen
By
Sasha Kandrach
Goaltender Casey DeSmith, defensemen Jack Johnson and Chad Ruhwedel and forwards Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust visited Rainbow Kitchen in Homestead after their practice. The players assembled plates full of turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, stuffing, yams, butter rolls and dessert.
"This time of year, at Thanksgiving, it's about giving back and being thankful for what we have," DeSmith said. "I think a good way of doing that is coming out there and giving back to people."
To have the players stop by and spend some time at Rainbow Kitchen meant a lot to both the people being served and the employees.
"It means a lot to us because it's really an honor to have the Penguins come here and do this for us," said Donna Little, the executive director of Rainbow Kitchen. "It helps to draw attention to the situation."
Before entering the building, the players were greeted outside by the 85-year old Mayor of Homestead, Betty Esper. She introduced herself to the players and then said, "I watched play on TV last night. No more of that nonsense, let's get some wins."
Her comment immediately put a smile on all of the players' faces as they assured Esper that they don't like to lose either.
Upon entering the facility, the players were welcomed with a round of applause from the hungry members seated at round tables scattered across the room. The group of players then walked to the back of the room and into the kitchen where they split up duties for the afternoon.
Rust jumped at the opportunity to help create the plates, saying, "I was a runner last year. Let me have a go at the green beans. Then we're in business."
Guentzel and Ruhwedel created an assembly line alongside Rust. Guentzel took charge of scooping out the turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing. Rust added the green beans and yams. Ruhwedel then carefully poured the gravy and added a butter roll to the plate as the finishing touch.
Johnson and Aston-Reese were this year's 'runners' and went back-and-forth from the kitchen to the tables delivering plates of food. DeSmith handed out an assortment of desserts including cookies, danishes, breads and muffins. The trio stopped numerous times to take selfies and interact with the guests. If they were gone too long from the assembly line, Guentzel would remind them with a laugh, "Hey, we've got a system here. Don't jam it up!"
Within no time, the room was radiating with energy as the players assembled the meals, distributed them and chatted with the guests.
"I had some fun interactions," DeSmith said with a smile. "They didn't hold back, but it was fun. I'm happy to be a part of this."
For a veteran NHLer like Johnson, he's still getting to know Pittsburgh after he and his family made the move this past summer. This will be his first holiday season in the area.
"Pittsburgh is my home now. I love doing things like this," Johnson said. "I know how important family and the holidays are, so being able to give back means a lot. It's nice just to get to go out and interact and get to know the community."
For the players, they understand the importance of giving back and showing their gratitude. It's an act that affects so much more than just those whom they personally served that day.
"It's great that the Penguins do this," Little said. "It's nice for people to know that when you're thinking about the big Thanksgiving spread there are people who are wondering, 'How am I going to be able to afford a turkey?' When you do something like this, it really draws attention to the need and the community. It helps to raise everybody's awareness about the need and to think, 'Maybe I could help too.' We're so grateful to them."
