The Catskill Chronicle

Left to Right – Employees Sarah, Michael Ramlochan, Alana, Stewart and owner Dave Ramlochan on Thanksgiving night.

Story and photos by Leni Santoro

PARKSVILLE – On Thanksgiving Day traveling from one place to another on the highways and byways of America has become almost as traditional as the turkey itself. Many travelers will stop in at one gas station/convenience store or another to gas-up and grab that last minute item that is a must have at the dinner table. But in Parksville this year, patrons were able to do more than just grab an extra loaf of bread.

For the second year in a row, the owners of Fiddle’s Wally Mart, located at the light on Route 17 in Parksville, served up a Thanksgiving dinner complete with all the trimmings to members of the local community. Anyone who came in the door on Thanksgiving afternoon was offered a full course meal to enjoy with their family either at one of the tables in the store or as a take-out meal.

Chandra and Dave Ramlochan started the tradition last Thanksgiving because they wanted to be able to “give back to the community” that has welcomed them, and their management of the Fiddle’s Wally Mart in Parksville.

Donations from many of their distributors such as Sysco, Weston Bakeries, Pepsi, Manhattan Distributors and Daisy Cakes, as well as local businesses such as McCabe’s in Liberty and even Liberty Mayor Rube Smith enabled the Ramlochans to match their generosity and provide meals to those who wished them.

The menu included turkey, dressing, mashed and sweet potatoes, vegetables, ham, rolls and dessert. At the end of the evening meals were also brought to the State Trooper’s offices in Liberty and to Daytop Village in Parksville.

Last year too, the Ramlochan’s invited Santa Claus to come for a special visit. They are also continuing that tradition again this year and invite the public and their distributors once again to help Santa by donating a new un-wrapped toy and placing it in the special gift box provided in the store. Monetary donations are also being accepted and may be placed in the jars on display near the cash registers.

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