The holiday season will get off to a fantastic start for local seniors with a real Thanksgiving Dinner hosted by the Santa Clarita Lions, the Castaic Lions Club and the William S. Hart Union High School District.

“This is such a warm and giving gesture from people in the community who have come together to bring Thanksgiving to local seniors who may not have a family dinner to attend here in town,” said James Morgan, executive director of the Santa Clarita Valley Senior Center. “We are beyond grateful to all of the individuals and sponsors who are donating their time and resources to make this happen.”

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This donated feast is scheduled 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day at the SCV Senior Center. Seniors can RSVP by calling the Senior Center at 259-9444. More than 100 are already expected to attend.

Local individuals and businesses have stepped up to provide more than $1,500 in sponsorships for the traditional dinner.

“This is a great example of how our community can come together to make something positive happen,” said Flo Lawrence of the Castaic Lions Club. “This event has a history spanning more than 30 years, and to see everyone getting together to make sure it continues is nothing short of inspiring. It’s a win-win for everyone: The seniors will have an incredible Thanksgiving experience and those who contribute will be rewarded with knowing that they have brightened the holidays for our seniors.”

The Lions Clubs and the Hart District are joined by a broad group of community-minded sponsors and volunteers, including: Joe Messina and his business, the Wildcat Group, which has contributed 10 turkeys; Valencia Acura; EZ Access Self Storage; Frontier Toyota, Santa Clarita Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Home Instead Senior Care, Advantage Disposal, the Placerita Canyon Homeowners Association, Salt Creek Grille; TPC Valencia; The Grizzly Bistro; Tony’s Food Service; and, the Culinary Arts Program at College of the Canyons.

Hart District officials also report that the culinary arts students at Golden Valley High School are getting into the act, too, baking 20 pumpkin pies for the seniors’ feast.

“This is proving to be a terrific intergenerational event, too,” said Kathy Crone, executive director of the SCV Senior Center Foundation, the fundraising organization for the Senior Center. “Some of our seniors do not have family locally, so for them to be able to gather and spend Thanksgiving together, with the help of our sponsors, volunteers and our local high school students — it just gives them such a great start to the holidays. We’re going to see a lot of happy faces on Thanksgiving Day.”

The SCV Senior Center, at 22900 Market St. in Santa Clarita, provides numerous programs and services for its clients, including health and wellness seminars, arts and entertainment activities, handy workers and day care providers, daily lunches and more than 300 meals a day delivered to homebound seniors.

More information about the Senior Center’s programs and services is available at www.scvsc.org, and information on how to contribute to the Senior Center through the Foundation is available at www.scvseniorfoundation.org.