OVER 100 residents across the region received a hot Christmas dinner this week thanks to Queen of the South.
The event was held at the Queens Arena on Wednesday which saw players greet their guests from Summerhill Community Centre, Lochside Club and Lochmaben Lunch Club.
It was a real team effort from the players and staff as they switched their football boots for aprons to help serve the food and clean up.
The team also delivered hampers to people in social isolation.
Queen of the South commercial manager Dan Armstrong said: “We’ve done Festive Friends for eight years now and this week was no different, except the first team players did everything but cook the meal.
“We had 50 guests from Summerhill Community Centre that does a lunch club, 50 from Lochside Club which also operates a lunch club for people that are living in social isolation over a certain age.
“We had another 25 from Lochmaben lunch club that we run out of the community centre there, so in total that’s 125 people getting a hot meal with a Christmas dinner all coming to the football club and we had more than 50 hampers delivered to people in social isolation as well.
“First team players were knocking on doors around Dumfries giving people that are living on their own a hamper that contains a Queens hat, shortbread and Christmas goodies.
“I think Gavin Reilly washed 300 dishes, Lee Connelly was serving up cranberry, boys were being waiters for the day and they all got involved.
“I think it’s massively important they have that presence, especially at Christmas.
“We like doing things like this all year round but at Christmas time it’s amplified a bit more. It’s a time to come together and we’re able to offer that as a football club.”
