Students without the luxury of returning home for the Thanksgiving holidays won’t be completely without holiday cheer. The University of Alabama Student Government Association and Bama Dining have worked together to provide a home-for-the-holidays Thanksgiving dinner on Nov. 22 from noon to 3 p.m. at Burke Dining Hall.

The meal is open to all students who are not traveling home for Thanksgiving Break, whether or not they have access to a meal plan. The first 50 students to sign up for the meal will get SGA-sponsored meals. The other students will be able to purchase the meal through their meal plans or pay out-of-pocket.

Students will also be allowed to take leftovers home to extend the meal throughout their break.

“This is the first year that SGA has partnered with Bama Dining to help the event achieve a greater reach and impact. If it is a success, it could very well become a regular occurrence,” Chase Burnham, SGA director of engagement, said.

While this year marks the first SGA partnership in the event, Bama Dining has held the Thanksgiving dinner in years past. However, this year already has the most attendees of any year before.

“We are trying a new reservation system this year, and 139 students have responded saying that they will be dining with us on Thursday and Friday this week,” Kristina Hopton-Jones, director of the University Dining Service, said. “In the past, there have been approximately 30 to 40 students eating at Burke for the holiday meal.”

Students will be served the traditional Thanksgiving fare, such as turkey, stuffing, sweet potato casserole, macaroni and cheese and green beans.

This event is an attempt to give students the same food and atmosphere they would have felt if they were at home for the holiday.

“We hope that it will provide a place for students to meet and have Thanksgiving dinner together with other students who do not have plans off campus or out of town,” Jones said.

The efforts put forth for the event are to make students feel like the University is their home away from home.

“Any student who is unable to go home for Thanksgiving will benefit from this opportunity to eat a holiday meal and interact with fellow students,” Burnham said.