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The Rotary Clubs of Salmon Arm have plans to bring a traditional Christmas dinner to anyone in the Shuswap who would like to enjoy a holiday meal.

Residents in Salmon Arm and surrounding areas including Sorrento, Silver Creek and the North Shuswap can sign up for a free sit down or take-out Christmas dinner courtesy of the rotary clubs.

Mayor Alan Harrison joined John Hansen, former president of the Salmon Arm Rotary, in a short video posted to the city’s social media pages to discuss the program.

“We started in the COVID year with Christmas dinner and of course, then we could only do takeout dinners,” Hansen said. “We've done takeout dinners for the last three years, but this year we wanted to provide a hybrid model — a sit down dinner, as well as takeout and delivery.”

Dine-in Christmas dinner is available from St. Joseph’s Catholic Church or the First United Church in Salmon Arm as well as at the Sorrento Centre in Sorrento.

Dinner will be served at 1 p.m. on Christmas Day, and interested participants can register by calling 250-804-8375 for Salmon Arm or 250-675-2421 for Sorrento.

“It's something new and exciting, and we're really, really looking forward to it,” Hansen said.

Takeout or delivery Christmas dinners are also available, with tickets available from Second Harvest Food Bank on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.

“If people out there know someone that is going to be shut in and that is going to be alone at Christmas, and they think that they would like to have a Christmas dinner, get a hold of them and let us know, and we'll make sure that they get a Christmas dinner,” Hansen said.

To learn more, visit the City of Salmon Arm Facebook page.