Rick’s Family and Friends annual Christmas celebration meal

Fourteen years ago, Historic City News learned that Rick Aeppli, a few of his friends and members of his family, started a Christmas tradition of serving a delicious, traditional Christmas dinner with a little joy, cheer, and friendship — and, that tradition will continue this year.

Rick says he expects to “be the family” for more than 250 people who are less fortunate and might otherwise be spending Christmas alone.

“Everyone is welcome to be served at their table and treated like family — just like everyone should be treated on such a special day,” Aeppli told local Historic City News reporters. “We have some back packs to give away for those who need one, while they last.”

Christmas dinner will be served between 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 25th, at the Mark Lance Armory. Everything is free and everyone is invited.

Finding a place to hold this year’s event was a challenge; but, according to Sergeant Chris Parker with the St Johns County Sheriff’s Office, the Christmas Day dinner and fellowship was blessed with the opportunity to use the Mark W. Lance Armory at 190 San Marco Avenue.

This is not the first move for Rick’s Family and Friends annual Christmas celebration meal; which started behind K-Mart in December 2000, and served 40 guests. Nine years later, and then serving about 100 guests, they found that they had outgrown their space. That year they began serving the event out of the Community Center of Prosperity Bank on North Ponce de Leon Boulevard. When they outgrew that location, the next step was to the Willie Galimore Center on South Riberia Street.

Sgt. Parker said that the greatest miracle of all may be that everything comes together — they always find a location, they always serve more guests, they always have people show up to serve the meals, and sufficient donations of freshly prepared food always seem to arrive. “We offer entertainment, a sense of family, and a celebration for the blessings in each of our lives — and we do it all for free.”

Some volunteer servers have been with Rick and his friends since the first meal was prepared. According to his records, former Mayor George Gardner and his wife Sally showed up that year and they are still serving. Now, they bring their family to help.

“God has blessed our families so much over the years and this is just a small way for us to give him thanks,” Rick said.