Volunteers for St. Wendelin's School portion out turkey for a Thanksgiving dinner fundraiser Sunday, Nov. 10. Submitted photo

A malfunctioning refrigerator wasn’t enough to stop the oldest school in the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh from offering its annual turkey dinner Sunday, Nov. 10, it just looked a little different from the previous 37 turkey dinners there.

St. Wendelin School initially planned to cancel its 38th annual turkey dinner, but people started donating meals for volunteers to pack into takeout boxes, effectively saving the tradition. The event ended up raising more than $15,000 for the school’s Tuition Assistance Fund, which is the purpose of the event.

“Even though it looked a little different, they still were able to raise money,” said Leigh Zuccher, regional advancement director for North Hills Regional Catholic Elementary Schools.

The owner of Key Precast, a grandparent of two St. Wendelin students, donated the equivalent of 1,000 dinners, and an anonymous donor contributed another 500 to the cause, which helped raise money for the Tuition Assistance Fund.

According to Zuccher, parish officials planned to meet Monday to discuss the repairs to the refrigerator. None of the funds raised would go toward that repair, and all of the funds stayed within the Tuition Assistance Fund.

The school’s principal, JoLynn Clouse, said the event demonstrated the school community’s dedication to serving its students and one another.

“It was heartwarming to see so many people still come out to support us,” Clouse said. “This community truly embodies resilience and generosity.”