Raul Jimenez Thanksgiving Dinner in San Antonio continues to bring community together

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – A longstanding Thanksgiving tradition in San Antonio has been bringing the community together for more than four decades.

The Raul Jimenez Thanksgiving Dinner has grown into one of the largest Thanksgiving events in the country.

Raul Jimenez Thanksgiving Dinner

The backstory:

The name Raul Jimenez carries a lot of weight in San Antonio. It’s a name rooted in generosity and community.

Back in 1979, the restaurant owner and businessman saw a need: seniors spending Thanksgiving alone, many without the means to prepare a holiday meal.

So he decided to change that.

“All he had to rely on was his friends. And he told them about this idea. And some of them said, ‘I don’t know, everyone’s going to be busy with their families. Do you think people will come?’ And he said, you wait and see, there is a great need, and you will see,” said Raul’s daughter, Patricia.

Two hundred guests came that first year, and the city has been part of the effort ever since.

“My father was a Mexican food manufacturer, so he would manufacture tamales as well, which is very big on Christmas. So we’re used to always being very busy. And so when he decided to do this, it was like second nature,” said Jimenez.

For Patricia, it’s more than dinner, it’s become a passion project.

“We’ve never had what you would call a traditional Thanksgiving. This is probably the only thing I know, but the thing that I love. That’s my tradition, spending it with the community,” said Jimenez.

When Raul died in 1998, many wondered if the dinner could continue, but his nonprofit, and the people who believed in him, kept his legacy alive.

“It could have stopped there. He had a lot for 19 years, he had many contributors and supporters, and they could have said, well, you know what, maybe it’s time to hang our hats up and move forward in another direction, but they decided to continue. And some of those people are still helping us today,” said Jimenez.

Now celebrating its 46th year, the dinner is open to everyone. And this Thanksgiving, organizers expect to serve a record 29,000 meals.

It’s become one of the largest Thanksgiving benefits in the country, complete with food, entertainment, and fun for the kids. Anyone who needs a hot, traditional Thanksgiving meal can get one from turkey to all the fixings.

“My father’s philosophy was, we come into this world with nothing. And we leave with nothing. What counts is what we do in between. So we are definitely about that, our family and the city and all the wonderful people of San Antonio. And I just feel privileged and honored to have the opportunity to continue,” said Jimenez.

The dinner is Thanksgiving Day at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center from 10 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. Doors open at 9 a.m.