CULLMAN, Ala. – Thanksgiving is a season of gratitude, family and feasting, but while many are slicing sweet potato pies and arguing with family over turkey wishbones, others may have nowhere to go to get a hot meal or be surrounded by community. Gamer Geeks Owner Michael Jensen hopes to make his store a place of comfort in the busy holiday season. This year, he’s hosting a free meal on Thanksgiving – Thursday, Nov. 23, from noon-4 p.m. Gamer Geeks is located at 2046 St. Joseph Dr. NW, Suite E, in Cullman.
When Jensen first opened his store in Warrior, he knew he wanted to find a way to keep giving back to the community that served him. With holidays being such a special time for family, and with many not having a place to go, Jensen decided to keep the store open to allow not only his customer base, but also the community at large to gather, feast and be merry.
“So my whole thought behind it is, we want individuals to have a place to come to and fellowship and eat in case they don’t have family or friends that day. Maybe they get done with their family stuff and have nowhere else to go. We just don’t want people to be alone that day,” he said, explaining that over the years the Gamer Geeks Thanksgiving feast has grown exponentially, seeing upwards of 70-80 attendees throughout the day.
Jensen said it’s not just the food that brings people in – though it is a full, decadently catered lunch of turkey with all the Thanksgiving fixins’.
“Generally on Thanksgiving a lot of people show up and play games, or sit in the corner and read. It’s really just about being around other people,” he explained, saying while some may drop in for a quick bite or to socialize, others stay for hours and play tabletop games like board games or any of the card games Jensen carries in his shop.
Jensen said after hosting the lunch for years, more and more people have shown up to support, giving monetary donations and bringing side dishes and desserts, potluck style.
“Every year people show up and donate to it. I thought, ‘I’m just going to do this to help out a little bit,’ and people really jumped on it!” he laughed.
Besides its annual Thanksgiving feast, Gamer Geeks also hosts myriad tournaments for different style games for a good cause, with entry fees so far totaling nearly $2,000 to help kids have a good Christmas. Jensen said the community continues to show up and support, but maintained he doesn’t do it for the good publicity.
“We try to always give back. There was never a thought of, ‘Hey, this is great advertising.’ It was just the thought of helping people. But the bigger it gets, the more business comes in,” he explained. “It shows how much this community cares.”
Gamer Geeks’ inaugural Thanksgiving feast at its Cullman location will be Thursday, Nov. 24, 2023, from noon-4 p.m. Attendees can expect food, fellowship and friendly competition if they choose to stay and play games.
Gamer Geeks is located at 2046 St. Joseph Dr. NW, Suite E in Cullman. For more information, call Gamer Geeks at 256-981-5746.
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