Exchange Club holds annual senior dinner

By LYNETTE SOWELL
Cove Leader-Press

The Exchange Club of Copperas Cove treated Copperas Cove senior citizens to a Christmas dinner, complete with live entertainment and a visit from Santa Claus on Sunday at the Copperas Cove Civic Center. 
Exchangite Nicole Vess spearheaded the dinner this year, which was catered by Lil Tex Restaurant. She said this year, they prepared for 120 to attend after getting the word out in the community. 
“We have no idea how many seniors will show up, but we’re ready,” Vess said of the club members’ efforts. “We keep growing every year.” During her welcoming remarks before the meal, she also extended an invitation to the seniors who would like to join the Exchange Club to meet them at Lil Tex every Wednesday at 6:30 a.m. 
Ronnie Viss, president of the Exchange Club, welcomed the senior citizens to the meal and thanked them for the service they have provided to the community over the years. 
The club also distributed door prize tickets to those in attendance, with tickets drawn for a variety of prizes such as boxed candy and tins of cookies, holiday socks, lap blankets and more for the lucky winners to take home.
None of the diners had to form a line for the buffet. Instead, Exchange Club members themselves lined up with Lil Tex servers filling the plates, and the club members serving the seniors at their tables. 
Willie Meihls and her 89-year-old mother, Hilda, both attended the senior dinner for the first time, having found out about it from friend Sherry Hoffpauir. 
Meihls said the two had attended the annual Feast of Sharing back in November, and they were also thankful for the chance to be at the Christmas dinner on Sunday. 
“This is great,” Meihls said. “We had no idea they were doing this for us.” 
Later on, Meihls won a door prize – a festive poinsettia that adorned her table during the meal. 
Both she and her mother looked forward to the dinner catered by Lil Tex, consisting of turkey and ham, with all the trimmings, as well as dessert.
Hilda Meihls said she was really enjoying the live entertainment onstage at the event. 
This year, the Scotty Ray and Bianca Musical Ministry Show returned for the second year in a row. Scotty Ray, dressed as Elvis, crooned a variety of tunes from yesteryear as well as Christmas classics.