Racine men put on free Thanksgiving dinner for 1,000 families

Dan Johnson and Ray Stibeck of Racine have made it their mission to fill every hungry tummy in Racine County for Thanksgiving. Last year, they began putting on a free Thanksgiving dinner for the entire community, called Dan and Ray Rendering Thanks. This year, they kept the tradition going, and over 500 people volunteered to help.

"In the beginning, we thought we'd serve a couple hundred families, and now, today, we're looking at 1,000 families. That is really a true testament to the people of Racine," Racine Mayor John Dickert said.

The Thanksgiving dinner was held in Racine's Festival Hall. Every one of those 1,000 families was welcomed and treated like family, and those who took part in the free meal had a deep appreciation for what these two men have created. "To know that people love us so much that they would spend their Thanksgiving, and spend all of their time and energy to do something like this for people who don't have any Thanksgiving at all, means the world to me," Isabella Johnson said.

Next month, for Christmas, Dan and Ray say they'll deliver food baskets to feed 100 Racine families in need for the holidays.