The origin of St. James’ annual American Red Cross drive may not be common knowledge today — but the word is out about the Thanksgiving Day tradition that offers a sweet reward for giving blood — pumpkin pie.
“Everybody in town knows about the blood drive,” said longtime organizer Diane Dannen, who’s been busy this week spreading the news about the donor opportunity 7:30-11:30 a.m. Thursday at the National Guard Armory.
This year besides the 8-inch pies, a Thanksgiving feast will be available to 200 participants.
Sadaka’s Deli has arranged for full meals to be delivered to the armory. A first-time effort for the Mankato business, co-owner Susu Sadaka came up with the idea earlier this year after a conversation about the St. James drive with some Mankato-area blood donors.
“I just found it almost unbelievable … that they have been doing this so long,” she said.
For the past 20 years, area residents have worked with the Red Cross representatives to provide a service that’s much needed during the holiday season.
Deb Anderson, of St. James, is credited with beginning the tradition of offering pie to donors.
“It started out as a challenge,” she told The Free Press in an interview two decades ago. “Someone said, ‘You think we could collect some blood if we gave away some pumpkin pie?’”
They did and the donors came — about 50 that first year.
For several years, the drive’s pies were donated by a St. James grocery store that has since closed. Superfair Foods in St. James took over the tradition nine years ago.
“This year we are giving 170 pies,” said Superfair owner Mark Collier. “The pie donation is one of the things we do for the community … and this is a really good one.”
Collier said he hopes this year’s drive has a good turnout. He’ll be busy during the event, working across the street from the armory.
“We are open until 1 p.m. Thanksgiving,” he said.
Sadaka’s will not be open for business Thursday; however, early that morning its Madison Avenue location will be teeming with volunteers.
“We will be leaving Mankato for St. James about 7:30 a.m. with 200 meals,” Sadaka said.
Her brother and co-owner, Milad, plans to arrive in the deli’s kitchen around 5 a.m. to prep about 800 meals that will include turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, corn and single slices of pumpkin pie.
Sadaka’s also will be providing food Thursday to several locations in Mankato and North Mankato. Those 600 meals are slated for delivery to designated shut-ins, food-insecure families with kids and nursing homes. The business’ original Thanksgiving meals give-away tradition began during the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown.
Susu said her family will gather for its annual holiday get-together Thursday afternoon.
Dannen and her husband, Larry, will travel to Rochester to spend Thanksgiving with family. Rarely over the past 18 years have they missed the blood drive; but opportunities to enjoy pumpkin pie with family members are rare for the Dannens. Their grandchildren are in their 20s and on the go. That’s made it hard to arrange gatherings everyone can attend.
“Family has to come first,” Dannen said, adding she hasn’t given up donating blood or volunteering for the Red Cross.
“There are, after all, five blood drives throughout the year in St. James.”